A Man's Greatest Weakness
by Malone.BU
Summary: "She brought hope, love, and joy into his life. Without her he had no hope, no love, and no joy. Without her he was a monstrous black hole that sucked the life out of others." Life was good and simple, but the day he fell for her was the day everything change. Secrets were kept, but was it to protect the other or for their own selfish reasons? Is anything really forever?
1. Chapter 1: The beginning

_Chapter 1: The beginning _

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

It wasn't always like this. I wasn't always like this. I say that a vampire's, no... a man's greatest weakness is love. I say this from experience, because even I the great and almighty Klaus have fallen into this horrendous trap.

They say it's lonely being on top, and it is. When you're able to kill your friends, no one wants to be your friend. They become afraid of you and what you might do, but that is the price one must pay in order to achieve greatness.

My greatest downfall of course began during my human years...

_...Over a thousand years ago..._

"Nik, stop it!" the girl whinned.

"Stop what?" I asked in a playful yet confused tone. As I playfully tackled the girl to the ground in the meadow, and we both laid on our backs laughing.

"Red?"

"Yes, Nik?" the girl replied as our fingers innocently intertwined.

"Rebekah told me about Henry."

"I'm seriously going to kill that girl," she murmured.

"Do you even wish to marry him?" I asked. I prayed that she said no. She was my best friend, the only one I felt I could tell everything to. I wondered if she knew that I did not want her to marry this Henry that just happened to be of werewolf blood.

"Of course not, Nik! I am a free spirit! Although, I have had my eye on someone I really have fancied for some time now, however, I fear that he is in love with another." I simply stared at her dark auburn hair. Not orange or ginger, but brown with Red. When my eyes met her strange yet beautiful hazel eyes, I felt content that she did not love this Henry. But, I was saddened at the fact that there was someone else she fancied.

We had been best friends ever since I could remember. She was Rebekah's friend, which is mainly how we became closer. Red was friends with all my siblings, she was even on good terms with my mother. I figured this was because they were both witches.

It seemed like we spent every day possible together once we were in our teens. Men were always trying to court her, even Kol, but she always turned them down. She told them she was waiting for someone else.

Whenever I needed comforting she was always there for me, especially when my so-called father lashed out at me. Somehow she knew how to make everything better. When she felt down I comforted her, just as she did for me. I always knew one day she'd have to get married and I had always hoped it would be me, but I was afraid to court her. I was afraid she'd reject me and that would forever change our friendship.

"Well, don't you want to know who he is Nik? she asked.

"Red, I only wish for your happiness. But, before you tell me who he is I have a question to ask you."

"Well, ask away Nik."

"Have you ever thought about us, and our future?" I asked. I was so afraid. I had been barely able to get the words out.

Then, suddenly, she lunged at me on the ground and kissed me. I kissed her back and right then and there we shared our first kiss together. Shortly after she pulled away.

"Semper et in aeternum" she said and I knew exactly what she ment. I realized that she had always thought about us, but also had a fear like I did that it would change our friendship if I had rejected her. Then, I lunged at her and kissed her with such passion that no one could fake. Then, she pulled away for a moment.

"What about Tatia?" she asked. Her eyes were full of worry.

"Tatia? What about her?" Did she not see where my true feelings had always been?

"I always thought that you wanted to be with her," she said. She seemed worried that I wouldn't and didn't love her. I paused as I chose my words very carefully.

"I thought I wanted to be with her. But, I thought about it and when I looked at you I realized something. I realized I do not love Tatia. What I was feeling for her is something different. I realize now I was using her to try and make you jealous, and even to drive Elijah crazy," I said with shame. "What I felt for her was a simple school boy crush. But what I feel for you, I know it's the real deal," I said only with honestly.

"Really you were trying to make me jealous?" she laughed. Then continued to kiss me.

Later, we just spent hours talking about us and the future. It had been about a year since we had spent this much time together since she was visiting family and then, I was well visiting Tatia.

"So, when ever you told those suitors you fancied someone else you always meant me?" I asked her.

"Yes, of course Nik! Who did you think I was talking about?"

"Well, possible Elijah" I said. They had always had some weird type of bond. "You two always just seemed close." This was the true, and I could never lie to her. She could always tell when I was lying, but I had no need to lie to her. Red on the other hand could lie perfectly, but never lied to me and I knew it.

"Elijah!" she laughed. "Nik, I do love Elijah but only as a brother. He's nice to talk to."

"Well, why haven't you always just talk to me instead?" I asked.

"Because, I can't talk to you about you."

"Oh, so you talk about me." I said. Knowing this is it gave me great confidence and I figured I'd ask him later what she said about me.

"Sometimes," she said playfully.

"What about Rebekah? Why don't you talk to her about me?"

"You have met your sister before, right? Don't get me wrong, I love her to death but you know her. She'd go and blab it to the whole village. Think about if my mother found out?"

"Well, I see where you're coming from. She does have a really big mouth." We both laughed. She drove me wild and I had no idea why. But, I decided it would be best if I courted her to save her from Henry.

After that we tried to spend every second we had free together and most of the time we just talked. Then, one day I told her that I had decided to court her and was going to ask permission from her father today.

"Nik, I don't think that's the best idea," she said seeming worried.

"And why exactly do you think that?"

"Niklaus," she said all seriously. "Please, just think about what you're getting yourself into. Ok?" she pleaded.

"Fine. I shall think about it, but no promises. Besides, there is no way I am letting you marry the Henry fool. He's not even worth to be with you."

"Oh, and you are?" she asked me.

"No," I answered honestly. "But, I'd like to think that I'm at least worthier than him," I said and she smiled sweetly at me.

That afternoon, I went over to Red's house to ask her father's permission. I knocked on the door and her mother answered.

"Hello, Mrs. Edwards. Is your husband home?" I asked. I was extremely nervous and she could tell. Her being a very powerful witch put me on edge a bit.

"My husband is not home yet. But what ever you needed to ask him you can ask me. Please, come in Niklaus," she said and as I entered the house I could see Red was in listening distance as she gave me a 'don't do it, it won't end well' look.

"Please, sit. Now what did you want to ask my husband?"

"Well, as you know, I have known your daughter Rufina for all my life. I would like to ask your permission to-."

"Absolutely not!" she yelled. Throwing the knife she was using into the table.

"But, why not. I care for her and would never do anything thing to hurt her. I think I love her. I would die for Mrs. Edwards! And this Henry is just a werewolf, how can that make her feel safe? He could suddenly lash out and hurt her!"

"Mr. Mikaelson, she is to be married to Henry and that's final!"

"Why?" I shouted. "Why him! What can he do for her that I can't! He probably doesn't even love her, but I do! You hear me! I LOVE RUFINA MATILDA EDWARDS, AND I DON'T CARE IF THE WHOLE BLOODY WORLD KNOWS IT!" What a great way to profess your love to someone, right? I was mentally slapping myself in the face.

"If you must know I will let you, but you must promise never to tell Red. Understand?" she whispered as she looked around to make sure no one was around.

"I understand." I most certainly did not understand!

"Years ago I had an affair with one of the werewolves. Soon after, I was pregnant and my husband assumed it was his. He is never supposed to know, but he'll know it if she ever activates her curse. He'll also find out if her children possessed the gene, however, if she marries a werewolf then he'll never know. Don't get me wrong, I don't like you anyways, and this is more important," she whispered.

I just stared at her in disbelief. She obviously must have hated me for something, but what?

"So this is about you! You're really that selfish, that you would deny your own flesh and blood happiness just to protect yourself? Not only that but you won't tell her that she actually a werewolf!" I yelled.

Suddenly, Red came running down the stairs crying and she ran out the door. Quickly, I followed her into a cave we use to play hide and seek in. There she was, sitting, crying, and I wasted no time as I tightly hugged her allowed her to cry into my chest.

"There, there, love. It's ok. Everything will work itself out," I said as I tried to comfort her.

"No it won't, Nik," she cried into my chest as I only held her tighter. She was ruining my shirt, but that was the last thing on my mind. "I'm a bastard child, my own mother cares more about herself than me, and I'm a werewolf," she cried.

"I promise you that one day we can run away together and just be together," I told her. "Then, we could get married and have a ton of daughters that will be as beautiful as you. I promise."

"And a lot of sons that are as handsome and brave as you?" she sniffed.

"Of course"

"Always and forever, Nik?" she asked as she looked me in the eye with tears still running down her fragile face.

"Always and forever, Love," I told her. " I love you."

"I love you too," she said. And I kissed her forehead and proceeded to hold her tightly in my arms until morning.

A week had past and we had plans to leave within the month. But then, my beloved brother Henrik died, and it was all my fault. Red was comforting me as I mourned my brother's death.

"It's all my fault," I cried.

"No it isn't, Nik. You can't blame yourself for this," she said. Her words were so comforting as she hugged me tightly against her warm chest. "It'll be alright," she said as she stroked my head and rubbed my back. I felt safe, like nothing could hurt me, as I fell asleep in her warm and loving arms.

Later, my so-called father turned me and my siblings into vampires. When I had gained some control I met with Red. My emotions had been heightened, so my love for her only grew. But, I was afraid that she wouldn't love me and that she could only view me as the monster I am.

"Oh, Nik!" she said as she came running towards me, hugging and kissing me. "I missed you so. Are you okay? I heard what happened..."

"And you're ok with it? With me being a vampire?" I struggled to get the words out.

"Just because you're a vampire, why would that make me love you any less? You're still my Nik. You will always be my Nik," she said as she smiled at me with those dazzling eyes.

The words 'my Nik' were my favorite words she ever spoke. They rolled off her tongue so graciously, yet... yet everything.

"Love?"

"Yes, Nik. What is it?"

"Mikael has killed my mother and now my siblings and I must leave forever. Traveling the world to break the curse that my mother has placed upon me, so I may be free to be both vampire and werewolf. We'll forever be running from Mikael and I want you to come with us. Come with me," I pleaded. "We can finally run away together and now we can spend forever together."

She stood there staring at me. I was praying she'd say yes so we could be vampires forever together. Then, I knelt down on one knee and said, "Will you, Rufina Matilda Edwards marry me and became Mrs. Mikaelson?"

There was a moment of silence and I was extremely nervous. She could tell...

"Yes, of course!" she said as she hugged and kissed me. "When do we leave?" she asked with excitement.

"Right now! You don't need to bring anything with you! We'll buy it all as we go." I was overcome with joy that she said yes. "Bekah will be so pleased that you are joining us," I said as I picked her up and spun her around.

Right then and there, we left to join the others. We were full of happiness and joy. We were finally going to have our happy ever after with each other... Right?

**A.N. **

**Look, I know this may seem like your average fall for your best friend story, but I can assure you this is not! This story has more twist, turns, and secrets than you can ever imagine. So, PLEASE just give it a shot and read a few chapter. If you like it then great please review. If you don't then please review anyways and tell me your thoughts (I prefer bluntness). This chapter is mainly just to introduce you the story to you, the real fun is when the secrets come out to play.**

**(Just know that Red and Klaus have a LOT more in common than you think)**

**Thanks for reading and please review (:**


	2. Chapter 2: Turning Which Way

_Chapter 2: Turning Which Way_

**Red's P.O.V.**

We traveled for a few days till we reached a place where we'd call home for now and everyone were all thrilled with our engagement. Everyone but Kol, and I knew Elijah was secretly a little sad. Kol only decided to travel with us only after he found out I was coming.

We were in our room 'spending a little quality time together' as my hands ran all over his chest, and his hands cupped my face.

"Nik?" I asked as I stopped and he was kissing my neck.

"Yes, Love."

"Will you turn me tonight?"

"If that is what you wish for love." He had hesitate when he said those words and it caused him to stop kissing my.

"Thank you, but first I want to do something for you first," I said. He knew this did not involve sleeping with me because we had both decided to wait until we were married. This was more his idea than mine, and it only showed how much more he loved me. If I had it my way we would have slept together a while ago, however, he did not wish to ever take advantage of me. He was of course a gentleman. Then, I tilted my neck and moving my hair out-of-the-way.

"Are you sure? What if I can not stop?" he asked. He didn't want to hurt me and was unsure of himself.

"Yes, I'm sure. I trust you, Nik." I was absolutely sure! Could he not see that? I left the village for him, I left my family, my life, and I trusted him with all my heart.

My family... I knew I could never see them again. I didn't really want to see my mother ever again, however, I did miss my little sister. I had promised myself when I left that I would watch over her and her family as time went on. I had to make sure no harm came to them. I loved her so much, even though I guess she's my half-sister.

"Okay, but if I'm hurting you then promise me you'll tell me and stop. Stake me if you have to. I don't care if you have to hurt me to stop me, I only care about your safety."

"I promise."

He kissed my neck gently yet passionately and gradually the kisses turned to nibbles. Then, he sunk his teeth into my neck tasting my sweet and delicious blood. He knew it was hurting me at least a little. Then, I let out a few soft moans of pleasure mixed with pain, but mostly pleasure. He didn't want to drain me. So, he stopped and fed me his blood to heal me and so I could turn. I noticed though at first he had struggled to stop.

"Love, I don't know if I can kill you, if I can turn you. Maybe we should wait awhile before I turn you. I just... It's just I don't want you to throw away your everything all because of me. I just don't want you to become a... a monster like me," he said. He had struggled to get out the last sentence.

"Nik, I am not afraid to die. I left everything behind for you. Does that not convince you that I am truly and forever devoted to you?" I asked. I loved him ever so much. If only he could see that, see that it wasn't impossible for someone to love him. "I am here for you in your times of need, just as I know you will always be there for me."

There was a pause of silence. He just looked at me in amazement. The fact that someone loved him seemed scary to him. I stared back at him. I looked deeply into his mesmerizing blue eyes, but he turned away. I touched his hand. He flinched a little, but did not pull away.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, look at me," I said calmly in a loving tone. Slowly he turned and looked me in the eye. I could sence all his feeling at that moment, because he opened himself up to me. He had allowed for his eyes to be open as wide as doors, and the eyes, they are the windows to the soul. I gently placed my other hand on his face. "Nik, I am not afraid of you. You are no monster, you are simply lost. What you are is my Nik. I love you no matter what. Promise me you will NEVER forget that," I whispered as he blinked and a single tear slowly rolled down his face. I knew he had always loved those words... My Nik.

I pulled him toward me and he did not resist. I held him tightly as to never let him go and kissed his head. I could sence his sadness.

We stayed like that all night. I knew if I moved he would think I didn't mean anything I said, and I knew he wasn't going to move. He was afraid to be alone, and truth be told, I was too.

**Niklaus' P.O.V**

I loved her so much, the thought of losing the one person who believed in me made me feel sad and sick to my stomach. Love was something I never thought I could feel until I met her. I never wanted her to let me go. She was everything I ever dreamed of and more. She was breathtaking, but most importantly, she was all mine.

One might think that brown hair with a red tone hidden inside and hazel eyes would be hideous, however, she made it look... enchanting. Everything in them from her eye freckle to their green circles that lined the inner and outer part of her eyes, was beautiful. Her skin was rather pale, even though she spend most of her time outside in the sun. Her hair was always perfectly curly, but when she seemed sad, it seemed to lose its curl. She didn't do anything to it, it just happened, it was the strangest thing. The top of her head came just below my chin, as if it was meant to. When she hugged me I could simple rest my head on hers. When ever we were standing and she wanted to kiss me she had to almost jump to reach. It really was the cutest thing ever.

She was everything to me. She was perfect... beautiful, smart, feisty (which she got from being a werewolf), and most of all she was my fiancé, soon to be Mrs. Mikaelson. Sometimes I wondered why she said yes.

Me being a vampire only increased my love for her. So did me being overprotective. I would do anything for her. I would die for her. If anyone ever tried to hurt or threaten her in any way I would hunt them down faster than they could say death. I would make them suffer so badly that they would be praying, no... begging for death. Even a glance from another man to her could bring upon death.

How could she possibly love me. I killed people and she knew it. Why didn't she think I was a monster? I was content in her arms and never wanted to leave, but I knew eventually I would have to.

I was conflicted. I wanted to be with her forever, but I feared what would happen if she didn't like being a vampire. Would she leave me? Or worse, kill herself?

Then, I realized that maybe it would all work out if she was a vampire. I mean she had willingly agreed to marry me. The problem was I was unsure if it would work... me turning her into a vampire, and that was what I feared most of all... losing her.

She was a witch and a werewolf. Rebekah had tried to turn a wolf before and he just died during the process. Even though she had not activated the curse would she die? I needed to know for sure before I could even thought of turning her. Maybe the witch thing effected it too? Although, Rebekah had lost her powers when she became a vampire.

I needed answers... I needed to visit an old 'friend'...

**A.N.**

**Who ever could this old 'friend' be?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	3. Chapter 3: The Problem Ahead

_Chapter 3: The Problem Ahead_

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

I woke up the next morning and I was still in her arms. I slowly tried to get up and out of her grip, even though I didn't want to. Her grip was so strong that when I tried to pull away I woke her up, and she slowly let go of her grip.

"Morning, love," I whispered into her ear. I couldn't help but think about how similar we were. We were both bastard children and had a werewolf gene. Strange how we shared that.

"Morning," she said as she smiled at me. I could tell how exhausted she was.

"I'll be right back in a few minutes, I promise. Go back to sleep." Then, I kissed her forehead and walked out the door. As I was shutting the door behind me I couldn't help but stare at her. She was so intriguing, even when she was sleeping. I could watch her sleep for hours.

I went downstairs and bumped into Elijah.

"Ah, just the vampire I wanted to see."

"What do you want, Niklaus?"

"Nothing," I said as he gave me his 'oh really' stare and raised one of his eyebrows. "Please, come join me in the drawing-room."

He sighed and followed.

"Okay, now what do you want, Niklaus?"

"Why do you always assume I want something, brother?"

"Because you always do, and yes whenever you want something it just so happens to be all about you."

"I suppose you are right, however, this isn't really about me." I paused. "It's about Red."

"What about her? Did you hurt her? I swear if you did..." Elijah said in his stern and in charge voice. I thought he was about to hit me.

"Calm yourself, brother." I was hurt that he would ever think that I would hurt her. "Do you honestly think I would ever hurt her?"

"Knowing you anything is possible. So, yes."

"That hurts that you would ever think that, I love her. She is my fiancé, remember? I knew that you two were all buddy buddy. But, I see it now..." I let out a little smirk.

"See what?"

"Well, isn't is obvious? You two are best friends and she told me you two always had a brother/sister type bond, but now I see. I see that you just played the supporting friend role, while you secretly pined over her. Need I say more or do you get the picture? Mark my words brother, you will never leave the friend zone. Not while I'm here."

"Oh, Klaus you are too funny. We are friends, nothing more."

"I can tell when you are lying," I said as I blurred across the room, pinning him against the wall as I ripped his throat. We had a brief stare down, until he blurred and reversed positions.

"Fine. I have always loved her. But, I am a gentlemen unlike you, brother. True love is letting go. I only wish the best for her and for her to be happy, and if that means she wants to be with you, then so be it," he spat and then let go of me. "Niklaus, you must promise me that you will never tell her of my feelings toward her. I do not wish to ruin my friendship with her. I swear if you harm her or upset her in any way, I will find a way to kill you. Do you understand?" he asked. He was completely serious. I had never seen him like this.

"Yes, I promise. But, back to the subject at hand. You remember when Bekah tried to turn that werewolf boy."

"Yes, he died during the transition. Why?"

"Well, Red possess the wolf gene."

"What?" He seemed very confused. Apparently she had told him everything except that. This made me feel a little happy inside.

"When I went to ask permission to court her, her mother said no. Eventually, she told me why she wanted her to marry Henry. It was because she had an affair with a wolf and her husband didn't know."

Elijah interrupted me,"So if she married Henry then he would never find out she cheated?"

"That is correct."

"Why does this matter?"

"Because she is to become a vampire, remember?"

"And you're not sure if she can complete the transition, even though she hasn't activated her curse."

"Correct again. I'm also not sure if her being a witch effects it. If she activates her curse would she become a wolf/witch hybrid? Or would she become a vampire and lose her powers? If she became a vampire would she be able to complete the transition? Even if she completed it and then she killed someone would she become a vampire/wolf hybrid like me, or die?"

"I see where you're going with this. We need to find some answers."

"I was thinking we needed to pay a visit to an old "friend". Are you in? I could sure use your help." He knew exactly which "friend" I was referring to.

He sighed, "Of course, I would do anything for her. Have you talked to her about this hybrid stuff?"

"Of course not." Did he think I was stupid!

"Okay, good. We leave tonight at sunset. Don't be late!" It was fine to leave at sunset when you're a vampire. Actually, we preferred to leave then. It was quieter and if you stumbled upon some travelers you could easily kill them because no one was around.

"Me late? Of course not." I smirked.

"Remember, don't tell her about where we are going. Just tell her we are going on a trip to find the moonstone and we will be back in a few days time. Rebekah can stay here with her. Don't tell her where we're going either, she has such a big mouth."

"You knew. I'm not stupid." With that I walked away, and headed back up to Red.

When I saw how enchanting she looked just lying there, I quickly got back into the bed with her. She was lying on her side facing away from me so I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me. I kissed her head and I could smell her. Her scent was intoxicating, it was like a drug to me.

Later, she slowly woke up and turned to face me. I hadn't fallen asleep at all. I had simply stared at her as I held her tightly.

"I trust you slept well, love."

"I did." She smiled and I kissed her head.

"Look, I wanted to say sorry. Sorry for not believe you could love me and..."

"Nik." She interrupted me. As she put a finger to my lips to hush me. "Love means never having to say sorry. So stop apologizing, you didn't do anything wrong." She always knew what to say and it made me blush and smile.

I hated to kill the mood, but it was now or never. "I have just gotten word of the moonstone's whereabouts. It maybe just a rumor, but I have to check it out. Elijah said he would accompany me, we leave at sunset. But, before I say yes I wanted to make sure it would be ok with you if I left."

"Of course you can go. This will finally give me and Rebekah some time together. How long will you be gone for?"

"A few days time if everything goes smoothly. Thank you for letting me go, I really do want to break this curse."

"I understand how important it is to you. But, you must promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me that in your quest to break this curse you will NEVER let it consume you and ruin your life or else..." she said. I could tell how serious she was.

"Or else what?" I asked. I was very confused.

"Or else I will leave you, and you will be powerless to stop me." I was shocked.

Could she really leave me? How could I ever let her go? How could I be powerless to stop her?

"I, Niklaus Mikaelson promise I will never let my quest to break the curse consume me."

That afternoon we took a walk in the garden and I noticed she had something behind her back, but she wouldn't let me see it. We were holding hands just enjoying our time together before I had to leave. Then, we sat down on the bench in the middle of the garden.

"That reminds me, I got you something!" she said.

"What? You don't have to get me anything." I smiled. "All I need is you." Cheesy? Absolutely, but I was in love. "Besides, my birthday isn't for another month."

"Well, that is just too bad because I got you something. Now close your eyes and put out your hands," she instructed. So, of course I did it.

A moment later there was a present in my hands, the one she had been carrying the whole time. "Open them," she said. The present was wrapped in an old brown cloth. I slowly unwrapped it to find a sketch book. It was beautiful. It had a leather binding with an exquisite patterned embroidered into it.

I looked at her in shock. "I-I... How did you know?" I asked.

"Know that you secretly like to draw and that you are really good?" she asked as she smiled and gave me her 'that's right look'. "Well, a few years ago Bekah stole one of your drawing and showed it to me. It made me wonder why you never shared your talent with the world. Plus, you need proper paper to draw on instead of wood and whatever silly little scraps you find. After all, you are an artist." I was stunned.

"Thank you. This is by far the nicest gift anyone has ever given me." I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "I will treasure this always, and I will take it with me on my trip." We both smiled.

When the servants had finally gotten everything ready for the trip it was almost sunset. Red and Rebekah walked us out of the house to say goodbye. Red hugged me and we said a quick goodbye before I started to walk to the horses. I was almost there, but then something took over me and I blurred back to her and kissed her like I was never going to see her again. She giggled and a few seconds later she pulled away. "If you don't leave now you're never going to get there," she said as she smiled and laughed once more.

"Okay, fine." I kissed her on the cheek and said, "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, and then I walked back to the horses

Elijah and I got on our horses and rode off.

We were now on our way to visit a very powerful witch, Josephina Matilda Edwards.

**Oh love is just so beautiful. Elijah and his feelings... Poor dude stuck in the friend zone, but for how long? Only time will tell...**

**I promise it all get better. We just have to go there first.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	4. Chapter 4: Lucy

_Chapter 4: Lucy_

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Elijah and Klaus continued along a long road, until it disappeared. The road had ended so now they had to continue through the woods. If they were humans they would have been terrified, but obviously they had nothing to fear. If anything, they were the ones travelers should watch out for.

Suddenly, they stopped. They had heard something, or rather someone. Klaus smiled, after all he had forgotten to eat before they left.

Elijah saw the smile on Klaus's face, and he knew it only meant one thing.

"Niklaus, I told you to eat before we left."

"Well, I forgot and now I am hungry," he smiled as he raced towards the noise. He could hear the heartbeat of a girl. Elijah simply rolled his eyes and followed.

"Excuse me miss," Klaus said to the girl. She looked to be about 17 or 18. She had blonde hair that went down to her back, and she was crying. "Are you alright?" he asked her. He did his best to pretend as if he actually cared.

"No, I am not!" she shouted. She started to cry more.

"Well, tell me what is wrong."

"Why would you care? You don't even know me."

"True. So, are you going to tell me or not?" he asked. Sometimes he liked to play with his food first.

"I am running from my arranged marriage, but he has decided to hunt me down. I got lost, it's now dark, my dress has gotten caught, and I am now stuck!" she only continued to cry. 'Oh God' Klaus thought, 'another emotionally wrecked human. Better put her out of her miserly.'

"Well, my dear I can help you."

"How?"

"By making it stop," he said coldly and without much emotion. Then, his eyes changed and veins appeared on his face.

"Wait! What are you? What are you doing? Stop!" she cried. But, it was no use. He had already sunk his razor-sharp fangs into her fragile little skin, and within a minute she was drained.

He just left her there on the ground and walk back to Elijah.

"Must you always play with your food?" Elijah asked as Klaus mounted his horse.

"No. But, it's more fun. You should try it sometime." Klaus smirked.

Then, they continued on their long journey to see the witch.

"I really wish we didn't have to see this witch of all the witches in the world," Klaus whined.

"Why, because she hates you?" Elijah laughed.

"Ha ha, very funny. Hey, it's not my fault Red chose me over that Henry." Even the sound of his name made him cringe and want to destroy something.

"You realize that even if she can help us, she won't."

"I realize that, but we have no other options." The witch would never help him. He took one of the few things she loved away from her, Red. He wasn't expecting her to help him, but he had hope. Hope that she might because in the end she wanted her daughter to be happy, and of course she didn't want anything to happen to her that might harm her in any way, however, she might consider him to be the harm problem, but he had to risk it. He loved her too much, and her mother surely thought his love for her was a crime. But why?

"It's a good thing her and her family moved after that little incident in the village. All hell would probably break loose if we had to return there," Elijah said.

"Indeed."

They were on their way to a small village. They would be there in about a days time...

"Well, here we are," said Elijah.

"Yes, here we are." Klaus frowned, deep down he was afraid. Afraid of what pain that the witch might inflict on him at the very sight of him.

The house was very secluded from the rest of the village, as if they were paranoid. They went up on the door and knocked.

A little girl around 17 answered. She had jet black hair that came just below her breasts just as Red's did, and she had piercing blue eyes that when one gazed into them they could simply forget about what they were doing or saying.

"Elijah, Nik!" she squealed. Then, she hugged them both. "What are you two doing here? Is Red okay?"

"It's nice to see you too, Lucy." Elijah said. They smiled at her and she simply smiled back. "Can we talk to you, in private?" They had always been close with Lucy, Red's sister. They looked after her as if she was their sister, and mostly kept her away from Kol. He always seemed to have a thing for her, but then again Kol had a thing for anything with breasts. Even if what Kol might have felt was different for Lucy, they had to keep them away from each other. They couldn't risk Kol ruining her innocence.

"Absolutely," she said as they walked deep into the woods to make sure no one could hear them.

"I take it this is about Red?" she asked.

"Yes. What did she tell you before she left?" Klaus asked as they sat down near a stream.

"Well, she left me a letter explain everything. How you and your family were vampires, that you must run, your curse, her being a werewolf, getting engaged, and so on and so forth. By the way Nik, I am so happy for the two of you. Now I finally have brothers!" she giggled. "Why do you ask?" Lucy missed her sister very much, but she knew she needed to be with the man she loved. She knew if Klaus was without her he would become corrupt and lash out at everyone who ever cared about him, leaving him alone and depressed for all eternity. She knew that her sister would always watch over her and her family from afar and let no harm ever come to her, or her children, or her children's children.

"We need your help," said Elijah.

"Will you help us?" asked Klaus.

"Of course! You two are my brothers now, and I would do anything for family. I take it you are too scared to ask my mother for help?" Although Lucy's mother and Red were witches. Lucy was not. For some reason, she guessed she just didn't possess the gene, and sometimes that just happened.

"Considering she hates Klaus, yes. She is our last resort. Thank you."

"It's not my fault she hates me because I love her daughter. Besides, she didn't love Henry, she never would love him. Who in their right mind would force love or a marriage upon their own flesh and blood?."

"Oh, Henry. I never did like him. I always wanted her to end up with one of you. It never mattered which one, as long as it happened and she was happy. I guess my wish came true. Now what can I do for you?" she asked.

"First, we need you to promise that if you see Red that you will not tell her we talked. Do you understand, Lucy?" Klaus asked and she nodded.

"We have some questions concerning Rufina and we were hoping you could answer them," Elijah said and she simply nodded.

"You see your sister and I wish to spend forever together and being that I am a vampire we can do that. Her and I, vampires together always and forever, but I fear a problem."

"I'm listening."

"When Rebekah tried to turn a wolf it simple failed and he died during the process. Even though Red hasn't activated her curse if I tried to turn her would she die? Could her being a witch also affect this, if she turned wolf would she lose her powers, if I turned her into a vampire and she killed someone would she become a hybrid?"

"I see where you are going with this, Nik. Honestly, I can't tell you. My best guess would she'd become a hybrid, however, I do not know if she has to be an original vampire for that to work. I really am sorry that I cannot be of help to you. Sadly, I suggest you talk to my mother. Now would probably be the best time since my father is out and will not be back till the end of the week."

The brothers sighed. Klaus did not want to risk losing her. So, he had to be sure whatever he did worked. This meant one thing, he had to ask his future mother in law for help.

"I suppose you are right, Lucy." said Elijah. "Will you take us to her?"

"Yes, of course," she said as she lead them to her mother.

The whole way there Klaus seemed afraid and was unsure of himself. This woman really put him on edge, especially since he was now a vampire and his emotions had been heightened.

They got to the house and the witch was around back. When she saw them with Lucy she simply glared at Klaus, the man who ruined her family in her eyes. The man who took away her beloved Rufina, and probably hurt her emotionally and physically, she thought.

"Good day, Mrs. Edwards," Klaus said politely as he walked toward her to be friendly. As he headed towards her, she continued to glare and suddenly he felt pain.

The pain of course wouldn't kill him, it just hurt. "Please stop," he begged. "I only want to talk, I do not wish to hurt you or your family." He struggled to get out the words due to the severe pain. He was grabbing his head and fell to his knees. The pain she was causing him was giving him a terrible headache and made him want to rip out his hair.

"Mother, please stop!" Lucy begged. "He only wants to talk. Please, hear him out. He is my brother now, after all. He only wants what's best for Red, can you not see that? He loves her mother. For Christ sake, he is her fiancé, and you know she wouldn't say yes to just anyone unless she was absolutely sure that they truly loved her for her. So, if I were you, personally I'd listen to what he has to say. At least do it for me," she pleaded. "You owe me that much for not telling me she was my half-sister. I mean, whatever would father do if he found out! As far as he knows she died back at the village, but we both know that is not the case!"

**Oh snap! Little sister outburst. Whatever will become of Red?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	5. Chapter 5: Answers

_Chapter 5: Answers_

Everyone's jaw dropped after hearing Lucy speak like that to her mother. No one had ever heard her speak like that. She truly loved her sister, and would do anything for her and her happiness.

Then, suddenly, her mother released Klaus. He was gasping for air, because Josephina had also managed to choke him.

"You bitch," he breathed.

"Well, I guess we can't choose are family, can we? I bet she doesn't even know you're here. Am I right?" the witch asked.

"I didn't tell her because I love her and do not wish for her to worry. Now, are you going to help us or not?"

"I'm not doing this for you, Niklaus, I'm doing it for my daughters. I hate you for what you did to her when she was only a child, but I guess she never told you about it. I don't blame her, I won't have told you either, however, I don't hate Elijah. So, I will talk to him for whatever this "help" is that you need."

"What did I do to her?" Klaus asked. He was confused and figured if she hadn't told him yet what it was, she never would. He would just have to accept that and trust her. When she was ready, she would tell him.

Ignoring his question the witch invited Elijah in and gestured for him to sit.

"Really? You're not going to invite me in!" exclaimed Klaus.

"It's a safety precaution. You want my help, then you play by my rules. Lucy, go to your room and wait till we're done."

"No."

"What did you say to me?"

"I said, no! Red is my sister and I want to help her and you're just going to have to live with that!"

"Fine. Elijah, what do you need help with?"

"Well, you see Rufina and Niklaus love each other very much, and are of coursed engaged. Which I assume you already knew." The witch rolled her eyes. "With the intention of spending eternity together... This of course means she would because a vampire." The witch twitched a bit. "Being concerned with her safety we would like to know if anything would happen to her if she was turned. Would her being a werewolf affect her transition, even though she hasn't activated her curse? Anything related to this subject would be helpful and greatly appreciated. We only have her best interest at heart, and do not wish any form of harm upon her," said Elijah.

The witch stared off for a few minutes. Nodding her head she said, "I will tell you what I knew, but only for her safety."

Elijah nodded, Lucy sat there with curiosity, and Klaus sat on the ground outside next to the open door so he could see everything.

"Since she has not activated her curse you can turn her, but sadly she must be turned with the blood of a Hybrid/Original. Niklaus has to turn her in order for her to remain stable. After she dies she must drink the blood of a witch and a werewolf mixed together to complete the transition. Her being a witch helps keep her stable turning the transition, even though she loses her powers when she turns."

"Does this mean when she turns she'll be a hybrid like Nik, but not dormant like he is?" Lucy asked.

"She will be a hybrid, but she will not know. She will remain dormant until she has: drained a human and a witch to death, ripped out a vampire's heart and sucked the blood out of it, and drained a werewolf after he bites her. If she does all these things under the full moon then she will become a hybrid. But, you men must promise me that you will never tell her. If she achieves these things on accident it is different, but if she does it on purpose... all it will achieve is power and blood lust and she will become a monster all monsters should fear. If it is an accident she will still become a hybrid, but she won't become a horrid monster with the sole purpose to kill. Instead, she will remain her true self. Do you understand and promise that you two will never tell her?" she asked.

"I promise," said Elijah.

"Niklaus, do you promise?" the witch asked.

"If I must then, yes. I promise to never tell her what she must to in order for her to become a hybrid." He wouldn't dare tell her. He loved her, but he couldn't risk her losing her innocence. Besides, what if she became more powerful than him? That simply wouldn't do, he always felt the need to hold the upper hand and be in control.

"Good," said the witch. Then, she looked toward Lucy. "Promise me that if you ever see your sister again that you will not tell her. If you love her you will not tell her, it is for her own good. Do you understand?"

"I do, mother. I promise I will not tell her."

"Good. Well then, since you boys know what you need to know you can be on your way."

"Thank you, I really appreciate this," said Elijah as he took the woman's hand and in gratitude.

"I didn't do it for you, but you're welcome anyways. I know how much you love my daughter, Elijah. I only wish it was you she was marrying, instead of your pathetic excuse for a brother."

They both smiled and said goodbye. Then, Elijah joined Klaus outside. They needed to find shelter for the night, because they had a long journey ahead of them. The day had simply slipped by them.

Lucy ran out behind Elijah. "I really wish you two could stay," she said as she batted her eyelashes at them. The vampires simply smiled at her and each gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. When she had hugged Elijah she whispered, "Don't worry, she will always love you. It may not be in the way you want, but she will still do anything for you." This made Elijah smile as he pulled away from her.

Then, she had hugged Nik and whispered, "She will never stop loving you, no matter what you do. Even if she were to leave, she would never stop, despite what you may thing at the time." She pulled out of the hug, looked him in the eye and said, "Remember, whatever she does it is for you. Even if you don't understand it at the time, even if such time passes, she will always love you. Love is something that you can never let go of. No matter what you tell yourself and others, you can never truly stop loving someone. It just doesn't work like that."

Klaus nodded and smiled. It was funny because she was wise beyond her years and didn't even know it. Well that was what Henric told him. They had always had a thing for each other, at least that's what she wanted them to think. Even Red knew who her sister's heart truly laid with.

He kissed her once more on the check. This time she blushed, looked them both in the eye and said, "I understand."

Suddenly, they both blurred off to their horses and jumped on. They were afraid to let their true emotions show. So, they quickly looked for a place to stay for the night.

They continued on until they came across a little inn. They quickly took what little stuff they had and checked in.

Once they had settled in and had eaten, Klaus took out his first real sketchbook and admired it for a bit. He touched the leather binding and smelt it, it smelt like her. He couldn't allow for the first picture in it to horrible. No, it had to be perfect. It had to be her. He then began to draw her.

The drawing was magnificent. It contained every little detail about her. From the details of her face, all the way to her untamable hair, and her perfect lips. Her lips had always fit his perfectly like a puzzle that never got old or worn out around the edges.

He was quite content with his drawing. But, it only made him miss her more he thought to himself as he sipped his alcohol by the fire...

"What do you have there, brother. Since when do you draw?"

"I have always drawn, you just never noticed," Klaus said quickly. "Red gave me this for my birthday. I told her she didn't need to get me anything and that my birthday wasn't for another month, but she insisted. It's funny... I never even told her I liked to draw, but she knew."

"Well, I must admit your picture of her is quite good. It's amazing how you can see every detail on her face," Elijah said as he stared at the picture. "Good night, brother. I shall see you in the morning," he said and left Klaus alone with his thoughts. His thoughts about her and what lay ahead in their forever together...

The question of what he had done to her haunted him. He loved her and would never harm her. So what could he have possibly done. He figured it didn't matter and when she thought he should know she would tell him. He let this thought slip into the back of his mind and eventually let it slip all together. He figured it was best if he did not remember it.

The next morning, the sun rose ever so softly. Shimmering light kissed everything in sight...

"You ready to go, Elijah?"

"Yes," he replied as they jumped on their horses and rode back to Red and Rebekah... And Kol?

"Oh no."

"What is it, Niklaus?"

"I just remembered who is with the girls right now," Klaus said seeming worried.

"Kol," muttered Elijah and Klaus nodded.

"I forgot all about him when we left. He was out at the time."

"This cannot be good. After she had rejected him, only to accept you. I do not know how he will handle this while he is in that house with her."

Klaus was angry now, one could see the steam coming off of him. "I swear if he dare tries to bed her, kiss her, touch her, or even look at her!... I swear I will tear him limb from limb! She is spoken for and we both know that will not stop him!" he yelled.

"You know you can trust her, she loves you for heaven's sake."

"Oh, I trust her with all my heart. It's him I DO NOT trust!" he exclaimed as he raced home in outrage. Nothing could stop him from getting to her as quickly as possible.

"Oh, God," Elijah said as he bolted behind him. Things could get ugly and he had to be there to clean up the mess when it was over.

**I love Kol. He's just so sexy!**

**Thought?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (;**


	6. Chapter 6: Feelings Shown

_Chapter 6: Feelings Shown_

**Third Person POV**

Klaus got back to the house in record time. He was full of anger and wanted to rip Kol limb from limb, but that would be too merciful. So, he took a few moments to calm down and decided to take a different approach. He swiftly and quietly sped into the house. He hid just outside of the sitting room where Red, Rebekah, and Kol were. Close enough to see without being caught.

It wasn't spying Klaus thought to himself. It was simply observing.

"Well Red, you still haven't shown me the ring yet," said Kol who was sitting across from Red and Rebekah.

"That is because there isn't one," she replied.

"What do you mean there isn't one?" Kol tried to contain his laughter.

"Well, it was all kind of in the moment and there wasn't really anyplace to get one. Besides, it doesn't matter if I have one of not, it's the thought that counts."

"You cannot be serious, Red? Did he even offer to buy you a real ring?"

"Yes, he did. But, I told him I didn't need one. I told him that I just needed him."

"That's disgusting," said Kol causing Rebekah to laugh and Red to glare.

The whole time Klaus was hearing this conversation it made him feel happy and smile. He knew that she truly loved him. If she didn't then she would have demanded for a ring. He wanted to get her a ring, but she won't let him. She kept telling him she loved him, it wasn't worth the time to go and get one, and that he could always make it up to her on their wedding night.

"Well, if you were with me then-" Kol started.

That statement alone made Klaus mad. 'If you were with me', he thought over and over in his head. Thankfully, Red interrupted Kol before he could finish what he was going to say.

"If I was with you what Kol! We've been over this, I'm not with you. I never have been and I never will be. When will you learn to except that for once you can't get what you want? I love Nik. I always have and I always will. I only hope that you can come to terms with that. After all, you are my brother now."

"I don't know if I ever can. But, I will try. For your sake, NOT his," snapped Kol.

Hearing all this made Klaus feel like he should probably step in now. So with that he blurred into the room.

"Nik!" she exclaimed and ran over to hug him. "I missed you," she whispered into his ear.

"I missed you too," he whispered back and then they pulled away.

"Did you find it?" asked Kol.

"No, it was just a rumor."

"Where is Elijah?" asked Rebekah.

"He should be here soon. I went ahead of him so I could see you sooner," he said as he looked into Red's eyes and she giggled. "So tell me what have you two girls been up to?"

"Planning your wedding of course! It's going to be the biggest event ever."

"Bekah! I told you I don't want a big wedding. All I need is you, Nik." she said as she stared into his eyes.

"That's sweet. Really it is, but it so boring," Rebekah said.

Klaus sat down on the couch and pulled Red down onto his lap. They stared into one another's eyes for a few moments and then began to make out.

"Okay, this is officially gross. I think I'm going to leave," said Kol.

"I'm with you on that one, wait up," said Rebekah as they both left.

"Finally, we're alone. I honestly thought they'd never leave," said Red as Nik let out a little laugh. She then moved her kisses down his neck and started on his chest. But, Klaus pulled her away. "What's wrong, Nik?" she asked him.

"Nothing. It's just you know I really want to, but I want for our first time to be special. And what could be more special than on our wedding night?"

"I suppose you are right," she sighed. "But, if you ever change your mind... Well, you know where I live," she teased him and he kissed her cheek.

"Nik?"

"Yes, love."

"When will you turn me?" she asked as she stared at him with her puppy dog eyes.

"How about on our wedding night?"

"You're mean. I hope you know that," she teased.

"Ah, but you love it."

"True, I do. But, please promise me something."

"Anything."

"Don't let Bekah plan our wedding!" she whined. "I love her, but I just want a small one with you, me, and your family." This made him chuckle.

"Of course, love. I promise. Speaking of that, when do you want to get married?"

"Tomorrow night!" she exclaimed.

"Tomorrow night?"

"Yes! The sooner the better!" she smiled.

"If that is what you wish, love. I shall make some arrangements for that later."

"Thank you, Nik," she said as she batted her eyelashes.

"So, who is to give away?"

"I was thinking Elijah could give me away and Rebekah of course would be my maid of honor. She'd kill me if I let anyone else be my maid of honor."

"Well as long as Kol doesn't give you away I'm happy."

"What about you? Who is to be your best man?"

"I guess that would have to be Kol."

"Well don't look so sad about that. He is your brother and he loves you. If you really don't want him to be your best man then ask Fin."

"Fin is... Well, I don't know exactly. I love my brother too, it's just... He thinks he loves you and that bothers me. He just wants to annoy me and try to make me jealous."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about, because I'm not going anywhere," she said. She then kissed him, got up, and started walking away.

"I thought you weren't going anywhere?"

"I'm terrible sorry, Mr. Mikaelson, but I have simply changed my mind." She giggled and walked away. Klaus just rolled his eyes and smiled. "And Nik?"

"Yes, love?"

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he whispered back.

With that Klaus went to make the wedding arrangement and to talk to Kol, while Red went to talk to Elijah.

"Elijah!" she said as she finally found him walking in the garden and ran up to hug him. "There you are, I have been looking everywhere for you. Can we talk?"

"Yes, of course. Please sit." he said as he gestured for her to sit on the stone bench. She sat and then he sat next to her. "Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, as you know Nik and I are engaged." He nodded. "Well, we have just decided on a date."

"Now, on what day have you decided on, Red?" he asked with curiosity and intrigue. Since he was her best friend he sort of had to, no matter how much it hurt him. Hopefully, no one would tell Rebekah that he was her best friend. If she knew that she would be crushed.

"Tomorrow night!" she exclaimed.

"Tomorrow night? Are you sure you are ready for this so soon?"

"Absolutely! I love Nik and he loves me. So, why wait?"

"Red, just remember forever is a really long time. Especially in vampire years. You must be absolutely sure you love him, because you can't just leave one day. If you ever did that he would be crushed, destroyed, and would kill everything and everyone in sight."

"Elijah," she said as she stared him in the eye. "I love him with all my heart. I would never hurt him like that. He is the only man I have ever loved and is the only man I will ever love. If anything forever with him isn't long enough."

"Okay, if you are sure."

"I am. Now, I would like to ask you something. Since my father is not really my father, even though I loved as if he were. And my really father is dead, and I shall never see either of them again. What I am trying to say is, Elijah... You are not only like a brother to me, but sometimes you are also like a father to me. So I was wondering... Will you give me away at my wedding, please?"

"Anything for you, Red," he said as much as it hurt him. It hurt him to know that not only did she only love him in a brother way, but also a father way

"So, is that a yes?"

"Yes, of course," said Elijah. He loved her so much, even if she did not love him in the same way. As long as he had her in his life in some way, he was happy. As long as she was happy, he was happy. And if that meant he had to give her away to Niklaus, then so be it. But, if he did not make her happy, he wouldn't hesitate to hurt him.

She squealed in happiness and hugged him. He sighed during the hug. He did not want to let her go especially since she would go to Klaus. Why did she love him, he thought. What could he have done to make her love me instead? The answer, nothing. His main goal now was to make sure she was happy, no matter what.

"Thank you so much, Elijah. I love you so much!" she said and hugged him again. If only it was really love instead of brother sister love, he thought.

"Okay, I will see you tomorrow. And Elijah?"

"Yes?"

"You better look dashing," she teased.

"I thought I always did?"

She giggled and walked back to the house. 'Better tell Bekah the wedding is tomorrow night and that she is not allowed to plan any of it,' she thought. She can only help with the dress. If only Lucy was there, but it's for the best that she does not come. Sadly, it is also for the best that Red have no contact with her.

Red sighed, and just kept walking toward the house to find Rebekah. But then, suddenly someone pushed her up against a tree.

"Kol, what are you doing?" she giggled as he had one hand on each side of the tree as to not let her escape and to cage her in.

"Rufina, Rufina, Rufina. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Come on don't play dumb."

"Kol? I don't know what you are talking about."

"You have feelings for me, I know you do. So, stop denying them."

"Kol, are you drunk?"

"Actually, I've been sober all day... But, now I'm drunk." Strange how he was sober until Klaus came home.

"I have never had feelings for you and I never will. So, get over yourself! You're just mad because you miss Lucy! I know you two use to sneak off together. You may have had your brothers fooled that you backed off, but I knew the whole time. I honestly thought, no I know, I know she would have married you when you two were older. Too bad you ruined it when you became a man whore. You know when she found out she was crushed. She cried for two weeks straight. Every time Elijah asked what was wrong we had to tell him that her goat died and she was just upset. Did you ever even love her or was she just another one of your games?"

To get the truth Red had to play the game and this all seemed to really get to Kol, since he moved his hands to his face and turned away. A moment later he regained himself a faced Red.

"I loved her, I still do!" he yelled. "I never even slept with Mary Ann. Mary Ann made that up so Lucy would hate me, and then she could steal me. I tried to explain it to Lucy but she would not speak to me... She wouldn't even look at me, and that hurt. It hurt me too deep and all I could feel was the pain. I started to hate myself and I was angry all the time. So, I dealt with my anger by sleeping all over the village. Are you happy now, Red! Now, you know and I will never get to tell Lucy that, she will never love me again!" he yelled as he was on the verge of tearing up.

Then, Red hugged him to and tried to comfort him. She whispered to him, "Kol, it's okay, it's okay."

"No, it's not," he muttered into her hair

She pulled away from him. "Kol, look at me. She forgives you, I know she does. She told me that even though you slept with Mary Ann that she still loved you. She just couldn't face you or even look at you, because she knew if she did that she would fall right back into your arms. I know for a fact that she still loves you, and honestly, I don't think she'll ever get over you."

"Thank you, Red."

"You're welcome. Now, if you can excuse me I have someplace to be. Will you be okay if I go?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," he sniffed.

Then, she walked away and a single tear fell down his face as he sighed.

Did he really Lucy or did he love her sister?

**AN**

**Thoughts?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (;**


	7. Chapter 7: Reunited

_Chapter 7: Reunited _

**Third Person POV**

It was the day of the wedding. Everyone was making final preparation and all Red was going was sitting in Rebekah's room.

"Bekah, why can't I help with anything?" she whined.

"Because I said so. Besides, Elijah is giving you you're wedding present early and you need to be here to receive it."

"Please, Bekah, tell me what it is!" Red begged. "I'll do anything you want."

"Anything?" Bekak asked as she raised an eyebrow and sat next to Red on the bed.

"Yes, of course. ANYTHING! Wait, maybe not anything. There's a few things I would definitely not do, especially once I'm married"

Bekah laughed. "You're to be no fun once you're married. Come take a walk with me outside." She then held out her arm for Red. Red nodded and they were soon outside with their arms laced together.

A carriage soon pulled up in front of the house.

"Come on Red!" Bekah yelled as she ran to the carriage. "Elijah is back with your present." At that Red headed straight for the carriage.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Not all of us have vampire speed, you know."

Elijah stepped out of the carriage and held out his hand for what appeared to be a person. 'My presents a person?' Red thought to herself.

"Lucy!" she exclaimed and ran toward her sister. "Oh my goodness we have so much to talk about!" she struggled to form a sentence because she was talking to fast and was clearly out of breath.

"I missed you so much, Red!" she exclaimed as she hugged her.

They started jumping up and down with excitement. Then, Red remember Elijah. She stopped jumping and looked at him dead on in the eye. "Thank you, Elijah. This is one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received," she smiled and hugged him.

This of course made him smile and hug her back. 'Take that Niklaus,' Elijah thought to himself. Elijah knew it would be pretty hard to beat that gift.

"Anything for you, Red." He smiled at her.

"Come on Red!" said Lucy as she pulled Red's hand. "You, Rebekah, and I need to catch up. It's been so long since we have all talked."

Red nodded and followed Lucy and Rebekah into the woods so that no one could hear them. When they reached a small clearing, they sat down.

"Now Rebekah, do you promise that whatever is said in the woods stays in the woods," asked Red.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Yes of course. Believe it or not I know how to keep a secret."

"Since when?" asked Lucy.

"Since forever. Lucy, how did you get your mother to allow you to come?"

"I didn't ask her. She would have never let me come. So, I left a note saying how I would not miss my only sisters wedding and I just left with Elijah." She smiled at her rebellious act. "Anyways, Red, you have to tell me everything."

"Okay, well there isn't much to tell. We got engaged, left the village, and now we are getting married. That's about it."

"That can't be it! What about the sex?"

"You're seriously going to ask me that after I haven't seen you in ages?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, Nik wants it to be special..."

"So you haven't yet? But, you always seemed to get a little slutty around him, even in public."

"Hey, I want to do it. I try, but he always stops me. He says he wants it to be special. I never thought a man would hesitate when it came to losing his virginity. I mean, I'd gladly and eagerly give him mine, but sometimes he can be to much of a gentleman." She sighed.

"Wow," said Rebekah. "I look at you two and I always thought you had done it a hundred times."

"I get it, I can see where he's coming from. He's too afraid of losing you, but don't worry. Once you're married he won't be able to get enough of you. Anyways, what about you and Elijah?"

"Elijah and me what?"

"Sometime you are just so clueless."

"I still have no idea about what you are talking about."

"The man's in love with you, Red," said Rebekah. "Even I can see that."

"He even brought you the best present ever, ME!"

"You can't be serious? We are friends. That's it, it's that simple."

"If you say so," Lucy said as she rolled her eyes.

"Okay then. Lucy, how are you going to handle Kol at the wedding?"

"You just had to bring that up. I will probably just avoid him. The seems to always get the best results."

"The whole time, really? Well, I do have some very interesting Kol news if you'd like to hear it?" Lucy nodded. "Yesterday, I was walking to the house and he stopped me. He was being his usual self. Then he claiming that I loved him and what not. So, I yelled at him saying that he really just missed you. Then, he confused the truth."

Lucy looked at Red with hope in her eyes. "The truth? Don't stop now! What happened next?"

"He said that he loved you and that he still loves you. He said that he never slept with Mary Ann, that she made it up so she could have him. When you wouldn't speak to him he got angry and dealt with it by sleeping around and becoming the biggest flirt to ever roam the Earth."

"How do you know if he's telling the truth?" asked Lucy. Her eyes were on the brink of tears, but she fought them with all her strength.

"I just know these things, I can tell when he's lying. Lucy, I know he loves you and that will never change. You make him a better man. Now, go to him." Lucy nodded and ran off to the house in search of Kol. Red and Rebekah just smiled and slowly walked back to the house.

Lucy was sprinting as fast as her little legs could carry her. She tripped a few times, but kept going. When she finally got to the backyard she saw the back of his head and stopped for a moment. Her heart was beating a thousand times a minute as she tried to calm herself.

Kol froze. He could hear a familiar heartbeat. He turned around and saw her. He was in shock as he tried to take it all in, questioning if she was real or if his mind was playing tricks on him again. Their eyes met and she came running towards him.

"Kol!" she yelled as she ran toward him. He thought it was a dream, but he ran toward her meeting her half way just in case.

When they finally met he kissed her, and then hugged her picking her up spinning her around. They were still hugging when he whispered, "Lucy." And she whispered back, "Kol."

They pulled away and stared into each others eyes for a while, but never letting go of the others hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have fought harder for you. I should have-."

She interrupted him as he let a tear fall, "No, Kol. I'm sorry. I should have heard what you had to say. I should have known that you wouldn't have never slept with Mary Ann, and for that I am sorry. Can we maybe pick up where we left off or start over?"

"Absolutely. I want nothing more than to simply be with you."

They couldn't do anything but smile and stared at each other. They were too happy to care about anything else.

Then Kol broke the silence, "Would you, Miss Edwards, be my date to the wedding?" he asked as he kissed her hand.

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Mikaelson." She smiled.

Then, they headed to the house to get ready for the wedding. There were so many preparations to still be made, but it was all coming together. It was looking magical, but how could it not? After all, Klaus had very good taste.

They were arm and arm. He walked her to her room so she could get ready. When they got there, she went to open the door, but he pulled her toward him so their lips were just barely touching. They froze there for a moment before she made her move. She kissed him as if she would never see him again, and he kissed her as if she was the only girl in the world...

**AN**

**Thought?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	8. Chapter 8: The Wedding

_Chapter 8: The Wedding_

**Red P.O.V.**

It was the day of my wedding and I couldn't breath. I was standing in front of the mirror with my dress on while the finishing touches on it were being made. The dress was quite simple. It was a long white dress, but it made me look pure and beautiful.

Rebekah couldn't understand why I wanted such a plain dress. She couldn't see that what seemed plain and ordinary was really complex and different, just like me. I may seem like a simple girl, an ordinary girl, even though I have dark auburn hair and hazel eyes, and spend my time with vampires. But, I had secrets too. One that I do not think I could ever tell my Nik. He would be to lost and hurt if I told him. He would be angry and his anger would blind him from the truth. Then by not telling him I was protecting him, right?

"Oh Red you look so beautiful!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Thank you. You look beautiful too," I replied.

"So, Lucy. You look extra dressed up for this occasion. Any reason why?" asked Rebekah.

"Well, it is my only sisters wedding."

"No other reason then? Not even for Kol?" she asked and it made Lucy blush.

"Maybe, I mean he did ask me to be his date."

"Really! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I exclaimed.

"Because this is your day and I will not spend it talking about Kol and I. We will spend time talking about you, Mrs. Mikaelson. Are you nervous?"

"Am I nervous? Ha that is impossible, I am not nervous or afraid of anything!" I bit my lip. "Okay, I am scared out of my mind. I have never felt this before. My heart hasn't slowed down all day, my palms are sweaty, and I can not breath!" I blurted out and they just laughed. "It is not funny!"

"Relax, Red. This is normal," explained Lucy.

"I think I would be worried if you were not nervous," explain Rebekah. "Listen to me. Nik loves you more than anything in this world and he would die for you if he had to. You have nothing to worry about, everything will turn out perfect. Now, let's do something with this hair of yours, we have less than an hour to work our magic." I sighed.

**Niklaus P.O.V.**

I was pacing back and forth down stairs waiting for the wedding to start, but I still had about ten minutes. I pulled out Red's wedding ring and started to fiddle around with it in my hand. She had mine and I had hers till the wedding. It was a small silver band with an engraving on the inside. It said, 'I love you, always -Nik'. I hadn't known how else to put it. I knew one thing, I loved her... I still do.

I was nervous. Not about the wedding, that I was excited for. I was ready for forever, forever with Red. She was my Red and I would never let another man look at her. I was nervous about turning her later. I had gotten the blood she needed to turn, but I was trying to figure out if her mother was telling the truth or not. What if she wasn't? Then I would have no one, and that is exactly what that wretched women wanted.

"Hello, Niklaus,"said Kol as he strolled in to bother me. I wanted to wipe the smirk off him face permanently. I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on brother, it could be worse. Fin could be your best man. You should be thankful it's me because I am actually fun." He had a point.

"Well you are in an exceptionally good mood tonight. How many people did you sleep with then kill?"

"Ha, don't make me laugh brother. I only slept with one and lets just say I do not plan on sleeping with anyone else besides them for a long time." Wait, what? This wasn't Kol. Kol was to much of a player, he always was and always would be. But wait.

"Please tell me you did not. You will only erupt her, cheat on her, and kill her when you are done."

"I'm hurt, brother," he said as he placed his hand over his heart. "And for your information I would never hurt Lucy. But of course you wouldn't understand or know that since you are not as well acquainted with my past as you think," he hissed and I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever you say, Kol. But, if you hurt her I will kill you. Now, what did you want."

"Ah, yes. The wedding is about to start. Shall we." He gestured to the door to go outside.

It was sunset and the wedding looked beautiful. Not too fancy, but not too plain. I couldn't stop smiling and when my eyes met hers as she started down the aisle, my smile only widened. She was breathtaking. Her simple white dress made her look pure and innocent, while her dark auburn, curly hair made her look wild even though it was up. I could hear her heartbeat increase in speed as she got closer and closer. Her smile was full of content, while her eyes were full of seduction.

Elijah was attached to her arm looking a little too close for comfort. I knew she only loved him as a friend, but it still put me on edge. They got to the end and he whispered something into her ear. It didn't do much good thought, vampire hearing always comes in handy.

He whispered, "I love you and I will always be there for you. Promise me you will remember that?"

"Thank you, I promise," she whispered back. Then, she kissed him on the cheek and he blushed. He finally let go of her and she walked over towards me. I took her hand and refused to let go. When I took her hand she whispered, "You look very handsome." This made both of us blush.

"You look very beautiful tonight. I mean you always look beautiful it's just-" she cut me off by giggling. Sometime I just became so stupid when I was around her, but at least she always thought it was cute.

The ceremony seemed to last forever. The whole time, we kept stealing glances at each other and blushing. The whole time, never did I once let go of her hand. Eventually, we got to the kissing part. Also known as my favorite part. I looked deeply into her sparkling eyes and I kissed her so passionately that I was pretty sure Lucy and Rebekah almost started tearing up.

We went back to the house for dinner, but when we started heading for the dining room Red pulled me toward the stairs instead.

"Aren't we suppose to go to the dinner?" I asked playfully as she pulled me up the stairs.

When we got to the top she seductively whispered, "Well, I figured we could skip right to desert." She giggled. Then, pushed me against the wall and started kissing my neck.

I used my vampire speed and quickly brought her into our room. I was excited that we were giving ourselves to each other. We fought for dominance as I gently pushed her against the door. Her scent was intoxicating, her kisses passionate. I moved my kisses to her neck and whispered sweet truths into her ear. This drove her wild, I knew all of her weaknesses on her body and she knew all of mine.

She couldn't take it any longer, so she ripped my shirt off with her bare hands. I carefully took off her dress and she pushed me onto the bed.

…

**Red P.O.V.**

We were lying next to each other trying to catch our breath, and my heart was still racing. I had the best feeling inside. I was finally married to Nik, we had just had sex, and he wasn't even suspicious of my secret.

I snuggled into his chest and had my arm wrapped around him. I never wanted to move. I was too exhausted to move or say anything, and I was definitely too tired to ask him to change me. I would just ask him tomorrow.

"Admit it," he said.

"Admit what?"

"That you are glad we wait and saved ourselves only for each other." He smiled. As long as that's what he thought, then I was good. It was all too complicated for me to explain it to him. Besides, he looked so happy. I could never crush him like that. It was just better to let him have his moment.

"Fine, I admit it," I smiled into his chest and he kissed my head. Then, he started to write in cursive on my back. I could tell that whatever he was writing was nice and sweet because I kept feeling the words love, forever, and always on my back. Then, I could sence his smirk.

"What is so funny, Nik?" I mumbled into his chest.

"Oh nothing."

"Come on, Mr. Mikaelson. You can tell me anything. We are married now after all. Besides, you can not just bring something up and not tell me. If you do not tell me then I might die." I said the last part dramatically.

"Oh it's just I was thinking about when you were moaning and screaming my name."

"Oh be quiet Nik," I said and playfully smacked him on the chest. "Besides, I did not hear you complaining and I am pretty sure that you did the same with my name. Although, you were a lot louder than me," I whispered my last sentence seductively into his left ear and I could see goose bumps forming on it skin.

"Come now, Mrs. Mikaelson. I never said I did not enjoy it," he whispered into my ear and it sent shivers down my spine. All I could do was smile. I could not help it, I was just so content.

"I like the sound of that."

"Sound of what?"

"Mrs. Mikaelson. I just can not believe we are finally together forever. We did it you know. We ran away together, got married, and now we just get to be happy together, forever."

"Mrs. Mikaelson," he whispered into my ear. Once again sending shivers down my spine and making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Mrs. Rufina Matilda Edwards Mikaelson, I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too." I whispered back and then started staring at his abs.

"Mrs. Mikaelson, are you staring at my chest?"

"Maybe." I bit my lip as he just smirked. "I do not think I will ever be able to move from this spot," I announced dramatically.

"Really, and why exactly is that?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Well, because I am naked in bed with the second best looking person to ever walk this Earth."

"I see your point, but who is the first?"

"Me." I flashed him a smile and he just chuckled.

"Tied for first?" he tried to compromise.

"I guess I could agree on that. Also, if I move then I risk some whore trying to snatch you up."

"Trust me, I do not plan on ever even looking at any woman, unless it is you."

"Promise?"

"I promise, but only if you promise to never look at another man."

"Am I allowed to look at men in the family?" I grinned and he just rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I promise."

Like I would ever look at another man. I had only ever looked at one man. I could not risk losing him, so I could not risk him finding out the truth. If I told him what would he think? What would he do? I don't think I could ever live with myself if he found out. Maybe one day I would tell him about Nikolaus, but today was definitely not the day.

Nik started humming our song and I slowly fall asleep. My last thought before I fell asleep was 'Thank God he wasn't singing it out loud. I love the man, but he can not sing for his life.'

**A. N.**

**I must say the review button is looking pretty fine today. So, if I were you I'd check it out. More reviews equals faster updates! Thanks all my followers and faves! Please any comments, complaints, concerns, love notes, hatemail, suggestions, anything, you can be blunt (I prefer blunt). If so post it please! By the way next chapter is the transition, so lots of action to come!**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (;**


	9. Chapter 9: The Transformation

_Chapter 9: The Transformation_

**Red's P.O.V.**

Nik and I hadn't left our room for what felt like days, but you wouldn't hear me complaining. It was the afternoon and I knew I couldn't stay in Nik's arms forever.

"Nik, you do realize we have to leave this room eventually. Right?" I asked as I looked into his eye. His eyes were full of life, as if he were still human.

"Not really," he said playfully. Then, I tried to leave to take a bath and get dressed. I only got to the side of the bed when he pulled me back to him. He then kissed me intensely, very intensely. The kiss gave me the sense that he feared losing me. That he did not want to share me with the rest of the world. Selfish? Yes, but I knew that meant he cared.

"Stay, love. Please," he whispered seductively.

Wow, he was trying to seduce me into staying here with him. I couldn't lie, it was working. But, I had to be strong. So, I pulled away from him and whispered, "Nice try, love," into his ear mockingly.

He smirked as I walked away into the bathroom. He knew I knew how to play the game as well as he could, if not better.

When I came back we were both dressed, sadly.

"Well, you look quite beautiful, love."

"Why thank you... Nice try Nik, but we both need to leave here. You need to feed and I need to eat." I smiled while he pouted.

"I suppose you are right." He sighed.

"Good. Now I am going to eat and then take a walk."

"Fine, but you better stay on the grounds. Or else."

"Or else what? Nik, I am old enough to take a walk on my own." I gave him my normal stare down look.

"Or else... Well never mind. I must go." He quickly kissed me. "But, promise me you will not wander off." He gazed at me with those damn eyes that I felt could look into my soul.

"I promise." I sighed. "I'll miss you, Nik."

"I'll miss you too, but I will be home soon." He hugged me into his embrace and I didn't feel like leaving his arms. But, then in the blink of an eye he kissed my forehead and was gone in a flash.

I had finished eating and went for a walk in the woods of course. He may be my husband, but he sure as hell can't tell me where to walk.

It would be sunset soon. So I thought it best to turn back after having walk almost ten miles.

I couldn't help walking so far, it was something I did when I needed to clear my head. I kept thinking about Nikolaus... I knew someday soon I would need to visit him, it wasn't as if he was going to live forever. Then, I decided I would tell Nik about him in a few years, when the time was right. But, everyone knows the time is never right. Saying that you will do something when the time is right is a load of crap. Code for I am afraid and a procrastination.

I started walking back, but then I hear the sound of stomping of what seemed like hooves. I reacted with instinct. I started to run to the house as fast as I could, not stopping until I got there.

I didn't make it very far when a horse came out of nowhere. It had gone rabid or something, because when it saw me it didn't stop. Instead, it ran into me. It hit me with such force that I was knocked me over and sent tumbling down a steep hill. The hill had a lot of sharp rocks and trees that I hit on the way down. Finally, I made it to the bottom and stopped screaming bloody murder, only because I fell into a freezing river and hit my head on a rock. I was knocked out cold...

I woke up about nine miles down stream from where I fell. Great, I was probably 20 miles from home. I was in a shallow little stream and there was blood everywhere. My dress was ruined, I was soaking wet, and overall I was a terrible trembling wreck. I was so weak, so hungry, and some strange moon was almost out.

I quickly got up and started walking in the directing of the house, despite how much pain I was in. I finally made it far away from the water when I heard a heartbeat. This made me think... Did I die? I knew I had Nik's blood in my system, but I could not have died. Could I? An older man came closer to me with a candle in his hand.

"Miss, are you alright? Do you need help? Why are you out here all alone at this hour?" he asked.

He was only a few feet away from me and I could hear his heartbeat changing speeds as he got came to help me. Right then I knew I had died. Oh great, I thought.I had died on accident because of a horse. Just marvelous, Nik was never going to let me live this one down.

I knew what I had to do... When the old man went to touch me, I gave him my I am a helpless girl look. Then, in a split second I grabbed the old man and sank my teeth into him. He yelled, screamed, and shouted, but no one was there to save him. I ripped him limb from limb in the process of draining him, thus he was dead. I believed he died just as the moon reached it's highest point.

As soon as he died I felt something different. Something that had been dying to escape for so long. I felt my eyes start to glow, my bones start to break, and the full moon appeared. I thought it was impossible since I was not an original, but I was changing. Changing into a monster and that only meant one thing, I was a hybrid.

I could not control my actions or my emotions. I broke every bone in my body and was screaming in pain. Finally, I was all wolf. I ran off into the woods and things got a little hazy...

**Niklaus P.O.V.**

I got back to the house and the sun was to rise in an hour or two. I was anxious to see Red. I entered the house with Elijah and Kol who had gone out to feed with me. "Red!" I yelled, but there was no answer. "Lucy! Rebekah!"

Suddenly, Rebekah appeared by herself. "Ugh, what do you want, Nik. It's late you knew."

"Where are Red and Lucy?" I asked anxiously.

"Lucy is sleeping. So keep it down. I assumed Red is sleeping too. I saw her at lunch and then she went for a walk. So, I assume she's back here sleeping now," she yawned.

With that I blurred up to our room to find her, because something didn't seem right. She wasn't there.

I felt angry and abandoned. But, she couldn't have just left, could she? All her stuff was still here. No, I decided. I know she wouldn't, but something felt off. She was in trouble and I couldn't lose her. Losing her just wasn't in the cards, it just wasn't an option.

I ran downstairs to my brothers and sister. "She's not here! She's in trouble, I can feel it. We have to go and find her! Now!" I yelled and Elijah's and Kol's face got very serious as I got very angry.

"Calm down, Nik. She is problem fine. She knows how to look out for herself."

"Shut up, Rebekah," said Kol.

"We have to go and find her," said Elijah.

"Agreed. Rebekah, stay here and look after Lucy," said Kol. And with that the three of us dashed off to find her, following her scent.

Who would have thought Kol would have cared what happened to her. I knew Elijah cared deeply, but what took me by surprise was Kol, but either way I was thankful of his help. He was probably just a good friend to her anyways since he was into Red's sister. Apparently Kol and Lucy use to be together, but then she refused to speak to him and what not. Red had filled me in on the whole thing so I wouldn't hurting Kol if he starting flirting with Lucy. They were probably back together now, but really who knew.

But none of that mattered. I had to find her and fast. What if something happened to her and she died? And to top it off, what if she didn't drink the special blood I had retrieved? If it was my fault and she died I would NEVER forgive myself.

**Red's P.O.V.**

When I woke, up everything looked so clear and vivid. Although, I did have a pounding headache. I looked down only to find that I was covered in dirt and blood, and to top it off I was naked. I HAD NO CLOTHES ON! Seriously, what had happened last night, it wasn't like I was drunk.

I was sitting up against a building and tilted my head back in frustration, thus hitting it against the wood and it all started to come back... I had died, became a vampire, and now I was a hybrid. Oh God, was all I thought. I definitely could not tell Nik about this. He would hate me if I was a hybrid while he had that side of him trapped. It would be hard, but I knew I could never let him find out I was one. Maybe after he broke the curse I could tell him, but not now. I had turned into a werewolf last night and I suddenly remembered every kill, every scream, every tremble, and I liked it, I liked it a lot. I liked the feeling of killing and the taste of sweet human blood, but ever since I died my emotions kept going back and forth and I was confused, maybe even lost, possibly angry.

Then, an old man who seemed to be a priest came up to me. I did not attack him, for I was too tired to move.

"You seem lost," he said as he handed me his long coat. I accepted it and used it to cover my body.

"Thank you, Priest. I am not lost. I know how to get home from here."

"You are lost not physically, but mentally."

"What makes you say that? You have never even met me before, Priest."

"True, but I know a lost person when I see one." The nerve of this man telling me I was lost. "Take my advice, child."

"And what would that be?"

"If he truly loves you, then he will not care what you are. But, try not to string him along with any secrets. The true always come out in the end, whether you want it to or not."

"But how do you-"

"Your friends are almost here. I must go, but promise me that you will not deny him the truth of his family." I nodded and he disappeared after he took back his coat.

It was strange. I had never seen that man before, but it seemed he knew me as if I were an open book. The hybrid thing I could do. It was the telling him about Nikolaus thing I did not think I could do.

Suddenly, Nik was in front of me and this proved the priest right. Nik was silent as he hugged me, refusing to let me go. I saw Elijah and Kol in the distance, but they did not want to interfere, so they silently headed home.

"I thought you were gone," he whispered as a tear fell. I felt safe in his embrace, never wanting to leave. But, I pulled away and kissed him on the cheek. Then, I buried my head in his chest and started to cry. I could not control my emotion and I did not want him to leave. "It's okay. Everything is going to be ok," he muttered into my hair as he kissed me head.

He put his coat on me and cared me home, bridal style. "I'm so sorry," I sniffed. "I never should have disobeyed you and left the grounds," I said in a weak voice and buried my head back into his shirt trying to hide from the world. I ruined his shirt, but he did not seem to care.

"Red, it is okay. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But I-I-" he cut me off.

"No buts and no sorries. I love you. So just let me take care of you. We can talk later if you wish."

I thought for sure he would yell at me, but he didn't. "I love you too," I mumbled into his shirt.

He carried me into our room, took off the coat, and placed me into a bath. He washed all the blood and dirty off of me, since I was too weak to move without feeling the pain. He never complained once. The whole time his face was filled only with concern for my well being. He then helped me into my nightgown, feed me some human blood, and put me under the covers of the bed. Not even a minute later we was back. He crawled under the covers next to me and pulled me into his chest. We still hadn't spoken since he carried me home. Instead of saying anything, he spoke to me with his actions. He held me tightly as to never ever let me go, and in that moment, I knew that he loved me unconditionally, always and forever.

**A.N.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review with your input. I thinking next chapter I will introduce Nikolaus. Any ideas as to whom he is? **

**Thanks for reading and please review! (;**


	10. Chapter 10: The Aftermath

_Chapter 10: The Aftermath_

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

When I found out that Red was gone, I was angry. Not at her, but at myself. I was angry at myself for being so stupid. I cared for her too much to let her break. If she had never woken up after she died, I would never have forgiven myself.

But, she became a hybrid, and I could smell it. How had she not died in the transition process? It was all a mystery, a mystery that not even I could solve. I was a little jealous that she was a hybrid. The fact that she could explore her wolf side freely, while I could not. That made me envies and sad. I was happy she was alive and in my arms, but with heightened emotions it was hard not to get jealous.

I promised myself I would do my best to not show any form of jealousy toward her, after all, we were to be together always and forever. I loved her unconditionally and no silly supernatural matter was going to change that.

I held onto her all through the day. She was tightly pressed against my bare chest. I had no intention of letting her go. She was still a little shaky from her transformation and crying, but I held her still as she tried to sleep but clearly was having no luck. All I could do was stroke her hair and rub her back as she went through moments of shakes, shivers, sweats, and heightened emotions. The aftermath of the transformation had made her sick. Not sick enough to die, but sick enough to make her weak. I was not sure as to how long she would be sick for, but I was determine to find out.

I slowly and gently started to move away from her. I did not get far when she suddenly sat up and looked me dead on in the eyes. Both our eyes were filled with worry. She was on the brink of crying and I, I was too. Only I fought harder than her to hide it completely.

"Say something," she whispered. I just looked at her. "Anything, Nik. Please," she begged.

I took my right hand and cupped her face. I then used my thumb to brush away her soft little tears. She grabbed my wrist that was near her face, but I did not move my hand away from her.

"Are you angry?" she asked with pleading eyes that only looked for forgiveness. Her voice was weak and faint. If I did not possess enhanced hearing I would have never heard her.

There was a pause before I answered. "Yes, I am." There was an even longer pause. It was broken when she looked down and away from me as if she was ashamed. "But, I am not angry with you, if that is what you think." She seemed relieved and I gently made her move her gaze towards me. "I could never be truly mad or angry at you. I am angry with myself." She seemed confused.

"I do not understand. It was all my fault. I-" I cut her off.

"You nothing. I should have never left you. I felt you unprotected, and for that I am sorry. I only hope that one day you can forgive me." Towards the end my voice was had grown weak and faint. The tears had started to escape my soul and she could tell that I was on the verge of crying.

"No," she stated. "You can not always be there to protect me. Nik, I made my choice and now I have to live with the consequences. So please, do not blame yourself for my faults. Besides, I was bound to die eventually. In the end it was a good thing, because then you did not have to kill me." She tried to lighten the mood.

"So, you are a hybrid now." I also tried to lighten the mood. She just nodded. I could tell she was still in shock from dying, not to mention she was sick. She probably had not given the fact that she was a hybrid much thought yet. "Well, that's wonderful, darling." I smiled at her and was rubbing my hand up and down her arm in reassurance.

"I am confused." I was too. "I do not understand how I am both." We were both so confused.

"I am a little confuse myself. We can worry about this later. Right now we have to focus on getting you better, because you are sick."

"I am not. I am just a little shaken up." Her voice had been a little shaky. I raised an eyebrow and gave her my 'really' look. "Really, Nik! I am fine." She refused to believe she was sick. Conveniently she then started coughing up blood. This quickly convinced her that she was sick. "Okay, okay. You are right," she said as I comforted her. Of course I was right.

When she was finish coughing up blood for now, I decide to go back to what I was planning to do when I attempted to leave.

"Love, I think we need to talk with the rest of the family. We need to inform the others of the situation, and then decide on what to do and who to seek help from." She nodded.

Soon I lead her downstairs to the sitting room where everyone had been waiting for what must have been hours. Rebekah and Lucy were sitting next to each other trying to comfort one another. Elijah just stood there staring into the fire. Meanwhile, Kol was nervously pacing back and forth.

We took a seat next to each other on the couch. When everyone saw us they seemed to be relieved. Kol finally sat down and looked a little calmer, while Elijah blurred off. This was not like Elijah. He would never just abandon family, he was the honorable one, however, all doubt was removed when he quickly returned with a cup of blood for her.

Damn it. Why had I not got her the blood. I was her husband after all and I couldn't let Elijah warm his was into her heart any more than he already had. Thank goodness he claimed to be honorable, which meant he'd keep his distance. If not things would most definitely get ugly. She was mine.

She had two hands on her glass as she sipped, because she was still shaking. When she was finished she put the cup down and I took her hand in mine. It was to comfort her, but it was also to put Elijah in his place.

The silence was interrupted by Kol. "Maybe if you tell us what happened when you left the house then we can figure this all out," Kol suggested.

Red nodded. "I walked into the woods... maybe ten miles. I was trying to clear my head and I had lost track of time." She coughed a little, but shook her head brushing it aside and continuing. "I realized that much time had passed and that it was getting dark, so I decided to turn around. I had not traveled far when I heard a noise. I was frightened and started running. I did not get very far when I was rammed into by what I assume was a horse. I fell down a hill into a freezing river. I hit my head and black out. Next thing I knew, I was shaking and gasping for air somewhere downstream. It was pitch black out and I heard a heartbeat. It was then that I knew I had died. I found the human and went into some type of feeding frenzy. When he was dead I started to change and I felt every bone in my body break as I screamed bloody murder." She stared off into the distance as if she was in some sort of trance. She soon snapped out of it, shaking her head and continuing. "Things got a little hazy and next thing I knew you found me."

"Interesting," said Elijah.

"How am I alive? I am not an original. It does not add up."

"Honestly, I am not sure. I do not know much on werewolves becoming vampires. All I can figure is that since you are the first person Klaus turned you were able to successfully become a hybrid." His voice and expression remained serious, no emotion showed.

"Well, if you ask me it does not matter! All that matters is that Red is here, alive. Well, you are dead but you know what I mean," shrugged Kol.

"Thanks, Kol," she replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. She seemed better after she had drunk the blood and allowed it to soak into her system.

Suddenly, Lucy got up from her seat and walked out of the room. She seemed confused, worried, upset, maybe even angry. Kol started to get up to go after her, but I signaled for him to sit.

"I have this one, brother. Please, watch Red." He nodded. Then, I slowly released my hand from hers and swiftly followed Lucy.

I followed her at human speed as she walked out of the house. A few minutes later we were in the woods out of earshot.

She turned to face me and said, "How? How is she alive? It makes no sense. Do not get me wrong I am forever thankful that she lives, but it does not make sense." She seemed to be on the verge of crying, but she fought the tears.

"I-I do not know. I wish I did, however, I do not." I sighed. "Lucy, I know you do not want to think it but-" she cut me off.

"No, Nik! She would not! So, do not even think of such a thing," she hissed.

"I can not help it. It is the only thing that makes sense."

"There is no possible way my own mother would lie to me!" I raised an eyebrow at this.

"Really? Even after she went to all that trouble to keep Rufina and I apart? Even after she tried to force her into marrying that stupid Henry? Even after she had an affair?"

"Fine. I see your point. Okay then Mr. All Knowing, what do you think happened?"

"Well, it is simple really. Yes, your mother loved Red and all, but she would always put herself first. Anyhow, she did not want us together. If she is dead then we are not together and she wins. Therefore, she tried to trick us into thinking all this bullshit needed to happen and to keep Red safe. When in reality she probably tried to kill Red! She probably turned successfully because I am a hybrid and she was the first person I had ever given my blood to... Look, she is alive. Isn't that all that really matters?"

"I suppose you are right."

"Of course I am." She rolled her eyes.

"There is one thing though that I am worried about."

"What?"

"Well, in time if people find out that she is a hybrid then they will try to kill her... Just remember, as long as you two are together, she is always in danger. People will always try to use her as leverage against you. She is perhaps your biggest weakness. But Nik-," she looked deeply into my eyes. "Just because she is your weakness it does not mean you are weak. In fact it makes you stronger. Even though you may not understand now, you will in due time." I nodded.

She was right, it did not make sense to me at the current moment. All I knew was that I would die for my beloved and that I needed to do everything in my power to protect her. I could never let something like last night happen ever again.

Then, a thought occurred to me... "Is there a way to cover or mask really her werewolf sent?"

"That way by smell you can only tell she is a vampire?"

"Precisely."

"I think there is such a spell for something of that nature. Perhaps we could get a witch to enchant her ring. That way as long as she wears it no one can ever tell and she'll be safe. Later I shall ask Elijah to do this, I knew he will gladly do this task for her. Besides, you can not go. You have to stay here with her, comfort her, and help her with the whole vampire and possible werewolf thing." I nodded in agreement. "I just need you to get her ring and give it to Elijah."

"No problem." I started to walk away but... "Lucy." I walked right back to her and hugged her. Then, I whispered, "Thank you," into her ear as she hugged me back.

I was to do anything and everything in my power to make sure Red was happy, alive, and mine.

**...A Decade or so Later...**

**Red's P.O.V.**

It took awhile, but I eventually got control over my emotions. I was finally and completely adjusted to being a hybrid, hopefully.

Even though it wasn't necessary to transform during the full moon I still did. I liked the freedom of running through the woods for hours on end. Nik would come with me most of the time. He mostly just stood there while I did my wolf thing, running around and killing, but sometimes he would join me with his vampire speed. I was not going to deny him the right to come with me. I knew he longed to join me, to run with me, to be free from his curse. If only he was free of his curse.

In the years since I had married Nik... Kol had turned Lucy into a vampire. He wasn't going to propose anytime soon, but he truly did want to spend forever with her. I had honestly never seen the two more happy. She made him a better person, one who did not want to turn off his humanity. He wanted to feel something for her and that is exactly what he did. Even though he was a killing maniac and felt nothing toward his victims, he did, however, feel for her.

Nik had promised that he would not let breaking the curse take over him, and so far it had not. Instead of focusing solely on the curse he focused on us, and helping me control myself. He even got a witch to enchant my wedding ring to cover my wolf smell to 'protect me, however, every now and then he would get a tip on the moon stone and go to check it out. Whenever he left for that it gave me the perfect opportunity to watch over Nikolaus. I had never introduced myself to him. I was afraid of his reaction if I approached him and told him who I was. Would he reject me or accept me? Or would I scare the shit out of him? He always seemed so happy with his family, I just did not want to ruin it for him.

Nik had just left to find the moonstone and he had taken Elijah and Kol with him. Rebekah and Lucy had decided to take a long shopping trip in a nearby country. They asked me if I would accompany them, but I told them I had some werewolf stuff to attend to. They believed me and so I was able to check up on Nikolaus. And this time I would approach him.

I arrived in Italy within a half a days journey, because I was currently living in a nearby country. I entered Nikolaus' village and walk around a bit trying to sniff him out. It led me to the woods nearby his house.

He was playing by himself with a wooden sword, pretending that he was fighting off the enemy and winning. He was growing up so fast, he must have been around eleven. I was standing to the side just watching him and he did not notice me. Then, he fall to the ground due to his lack of sword training and coordination. I could not help but giggle a little, my cover was blown.

"Excuse me Miss, but is something funny?" the little boy asked.

"No, of course not. Pardon me, I did not mean to laugh."

"It is okay. I am not that good anyways," he sighed. "My father was suppose to start teaching me how to use a sword day, but alas he was forgotten again. But one day, one day I will be the greatest swordsman to ever live!" He smiled.

"Well, what if I teach you some basics?"

"Not to me rude Miss, but you are just a girl. There is no way you would know even the first thing about a sword. Besides, my parents told me I am not to talk to strangers."

"I am a little offended. I will have you know I am excellent with a sword. I am Rufina by the way, but you may call me Red."

"My name is Nikolaus."

"See we are not strangers anymore."

"I suppose you are right, but that still does not mean that I would believe and or trust you to teach me."

"Fair enough."

We immediately bonded. He did not think it was strange to talk to a women so much older than him, in fact he seemed to accept me right away. He never even thought it was weird that a lady of my age was talking for such a long amount of time with him. We sat down on the grass and the little boy instantly started telling me about his life. He was nice, polite, sweet, and brave. Everything I prayed he would turn out to be. He was small, but I knew he had not finished growing and when he did he would probably be almost six feet tall, if not taller. He had blue eyes that glistened in to sun and reddish scruffy short hair that set him apart from other little boys his age.

"Red?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I know it is strange, but I feel as if I know you somehow. I am not quite sure how, I just do. I feel like I can tell you anything. Have we met before?"

"I have the exact same feeling towards you, however, I do not think we have ever formally met."

"Do you live around here?"

"No."

Then, I heard his mother shouting at him from a distance that it was dinner time, that was my cue to leave. "I think your mother is calling you. I must be on my way anyways and I hope that one day you become the best swordsman to ever walk this Earth."

I got up and started to walk away, but he stopped me by grabbing my hand and I felt an instant connection. "Red, will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe, if that is what you wish." He nodded. "But, only if you promise to never tell anyone about me and you have to behave." I really wanted to see him again. Honestly, I wish I could take him with me. But, that would not be fair to his family or mine.

"I promise," he said with a big smile on his face and with that he left for his home and I let for mine.

If only things could be simple...

**A.N. **

**Thoughts anyone? Oh snap, Nikolaus is only a little boy! However will Klaus react to this? Thank you for reading! Also, please review. I could really use some sort of feedback. Once again thanks for reading!**

**P.S. Does anyone what happens if a werewolf or a hybrid bites a hybrid? It is really important that I find out. I even looked it up, but alas I only got the whole wolf bites vampire thing. And does anyone know the exact year the originals got turned? I can only find the 10th century, but i need an exact date...**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	11. Chapter 11: Nikolaus

_Chapter 11: Nikolaus_

**Red's P.O.V.**

For the next few years I visited Nikolaus when ever I could. We would play games and laugh. Sometimes he would even try to show off his sword fighting skills. Other times we would talk, sometimes about serious things and other times we would talk about less serious matters. For example, whenever he liked a girl he would tell me all about her. Then, he would ask me for advice on girls, which I gladly gave him.

One would think it strange for a little boy to have a friend who is not only a girl, but much older than him. But, it was not strange for him. I could tell he felt closer to me then he did with anyone in his family. He was always very open and honest with me and I tried my best to do the same, but that became difficult when I was trying not want to ruin his life.

He was about sixteen when I visited him and he started asking questions. I only found it fair to tell him the truth.

"Red?"

"Yes, Nikolaus."

"The day we first met, was that an accident?"

"No." I paused. "Nikolaus, I am going to tell you the truth about yourself, because you are old enough to hear it and I feel that it is not fair to you if I withhold the truth from you."

"The truth?" He seemed a little confused.

"The day we met was not an accident or a coincident. I had been watching over you for some time. But, it is only because I care about you and because I am your-"

He cut me off. "My mother. You are my mother aren't you?" I nodded. "I always knew my family was not my real family!"

"How did you know?"

"They always treated me different from everyone else." He seemed sad, yet relieved at the same time. "Besides we both have hair that is a ridiculous color helped point out that it was you. Everyone else in my 'family' has black hair."

"I am truly sorry I did not tell you sooner. As your mother I should never have given you up."

"Why did you? Did you not want me?" Did he really think that I did not want him?

"Of course I wanted you! But, let's just say there were some family complications. I promise I will explain it to you when you are older. Besides, there is something rather important I need to explain to you."

"What is it?"

"I know this is going to sound crazy and you may not believe me but... You are a werewolf." He then burst into laughter. I thought he was going to start crying because of how hard he was laughing.

"Yeah, sure." He rolled his eyes. Really my own son just rolled his eyes at me.

"Listen to me I am being serious! You possess the werewolf gene and if you activate it you basically become bound to the moon. You become forced to turn every full moon, and when you turn you have to break every bone in your body. It hurts like hell!"

"Oh really. And I suppose you are a werewolf?"

"Something like that."

"And how exactly does one break their 'curse'?"

"You have to kill someone."

"What?" He seemed to be taking me a little more serious now.

"Even if it is an accident and you kill someone you turn. It is a curse I would not wish on anyone. I just wanted to warn you. If I were you I would try not to ever kill anyone. Please, do this for me. That is the only thing I will ever ask of you."

"I will not try to activate my curse if you can prove you are a werewolf."

"Fine. Arm wrestle me."

"What?"

"Just do it." He thought he was so strong. Ha, guess again. Then, in one foul swoop I pinned his arm down, almost breaking it.

"No fair! We never said go."

"Well to bad. Do you believe me know?"

"Yes. I promise I will not try to activate my curse."

"Thank you." I knew he did not believe me. "Here, this is for you." I handed him a piece of paper.

"What is this?" He looked at it with confusion, then opened it. "It is a location. Why?"

"It is incase something happens. If anything ever happens to you and you need my help then you will be able to contact me. It changes frequently so I will be sure to send you a letter with my location every time it changes. Only contact me if it is absolutely important. As in your whole family dies or you activate your curse important." He nodded and slipped the paper into his pocket.

"Why can I not leave this wretched village and go with you? This people are not even my family, you are! I always knew I did not belong here, that I had been abandoned!"

"No, Nikolaus! I did not abandon you! I did what was best for you!"

"What was best for me? NO! You did what was best for you! These people do not give a rats ass about me! They may claim to love me, but they do not feel that way, they are incapable of it!"

Crap he was right. At the time it seemed to be what was best, what was right. I thought I was saving him from my true loves wrath, but I was only save myself.

"I am sorry," I whispered.

"You are sorry?"

"Yes. You are right and I am sorry. I thought I did it for the best, but... I want you to know that I love you. I have always loved you. I will understand if you never want to see me again."

"Mother, I-" I cut him off by disappearing with my speed as a tear started to escape.

I just left him there, I thought to myself. I just left my only son there after I had just dropped multiple bombshells in his face. I was a horrible person, no I was a horrible mother.

I could not see him again, I could not face him. I could still watch over him to protect him, but I could not face him. He would probably hate me for the rest of his short life. But, I had to make sure he knew I still cared and was there for him. I had to make sure he always knew where to find me.

I got back to our current home as fast as possible. I bursted through the door only to find Elijah, who seemed as if he was about to leave. I was a wrench, and he could tell.

"Rufina, are you okay?"

"Yes. No. I do not know." I could not make up my mind.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yes, sort of, but no. No, I do not want to talk about it." I had made up my mind." I can see you are about to leave, and I do not want to ruin your evening." I moved my gaze to the floor.

"My plans can wait. After all I am your friend and I am here for you."

I sighed. "It is just... just that... I could really use a hug." I was full of sadness and about ready to break down at any moment. But, he saved me by pulling me into his embrace. He wrapped one of his strong arms around me. He used one of his hands to hold me still and stroke my head.

"I am a horrible person." I cried into his shirt.

"No, you are not. Shhh. Everything is going to be okay," he whispered into my ear as he tried to comfort me.

We just stayed there for the longest time as he whispered sweet comforting things into my ear and rubbed my back. He then kissed me on the forehead, pulled away but still had his hands on my arms, looked me dead in the eye, and said, "I will always be there for you."

He had promised thet before, and he never once broke that promise. At the time I wasn't sure why. Why he would care so much had always been a mystery to me. Lucy and Rebekah were wrong, he did not love me like Nik did. He loved me like a sister/best friend who he could tell anything to. Right?

He still had his hand on my arms and I was about to say something back when Nik appeared and Elijah released me. I turned to Nik.

"Red, are you okay? What happened?" he asked. He seemed concerned, confused, worried, maybe even hurt that Elijah was comforting me instead of him. But that was ridiculous! Elijah and I were just friends, brother and sister really.

"I-I am fine." I sniffed one last time and did my best to try and wipe my tears. I did not want him to see me like this. "I was just upset and need a hug." I turned my head slightly to look at Elijah, but he was gone. I looked back to Nik, who was now right in front of me. He pushed back a lock of my untamable hair and wiped away my last tear.

"Do you wish to talk about it?" he asked concernedly.

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around him. I wanted to assure him that I was his and only his till the end of our existence. For a split second he seemed shocked that I hugged him, but quickly got over it and hugged me back with reassurance.

I could tell he was not planning to let go anytime soon. I also could tell exactly what he was thinking, "Mine."

**A.N.**

**Okay so I know this chapter wasn't that long, but the next one will be much long I promise. It is called **_**An Afternoon Chat or a Daytime Snack. **_**I know this chapter didn't have much to it, but the next one is going to explain some of the past. So, there will probably be a flashback. Also, this chapter would have been longer, but I wanted to break it up from the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review because I would really like to hear your thoughts on the story so far! Also, next chapter will be AMAZING so get pumped and be sure to check it out when it is published! (:**

**Thanks again for reading and please review! (:**


	12. Chapter 12: An Afternoon Snack or a Day

_Chapter 12: An Afternoon Snack or a Daytime Chat_

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

**A Year Later**

I was wondering on the grounds of my current home taking a lovely afternoon walk. I heard something down the long dirt road, a horse perhaps. This horse was apparently racing at full speed and would cross my path within seconds. A trespasser perhaps? Oh, I did love trespassers. They always made nice snacks and I was getting rather hungry.

A boy no older than seventeen on a chestnut brown horse stood before me. The boy had reddish brown hair and blue eyes, and he smelt different... a werewolf perhaps? Either way I would play with this boy before I snacked and killed him. Maybe find out what he wanted, lead him to the house, be a wonderful host, play a mind game or two, and then go in for the kill.

The boy dismantled his horse. He was now a few feet away from me at eye level... Right where I wanted him.

"Excuse me, Sir?" the boy asked.

"Yes, young man."

"I am sorry to be trespassing, but I was wonder if you could help me?" At least he was polite, maybe he would live a little longer. "I am looking for a friend of mine."

"Well, youngman. How about we take your horse to the stables, go to the house, and discuss this? Sound good?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you for your time. I truly and sincerely appreciate it." I nodded and lead him to the stables.

We walked along the road in silence with the horse until we reach the stables. Once there he handed his horse to the stable boy and I began to talk to him.

"Now, young man, what did you need help with?" We would have to walk up a steep hill to get back to the house, so I thought it best to just have our little confrontation our here. Maybe even take a little stroll as we chatted, it was to be a beautiful day afterall. A snack hand delivered, a new horse, and I would see my wife soon.

"I am looking for my friend, Sir."

"Enough with the Sir, boy. You are making me sound older than I am. Please, call me Klaus. And you are?"

"Oh sorry, Sir- I mean Klaus. My name is Nikolaus."

"Nikolaus? Means victory of the people, if I remember correctly. That is a good strong name, I like it." The boy was polite and had a nice hint of charm. I liked this boy. Maybe he will be useful for something, that or to bad I might have to kill him ,I thought.

"Thank you. As I was saying, I am looking for a friend of mine. Perhaps you know her?" It was a her? "Her name is Rufina. She told me she lived here and that if I ever-"' I cut that little riff raff trespasser off my choking him.

How could Red possible know this boy. Was she cheating on me with this this pathetic excuse of a young man? HA! Impossible, or was it?

I grabbed him by the collar and picked him up off the ground. He was squirming like a little girl.

"How do you know her!" I yelled at the boy.

"Please, Sir! Let me explain," he just barely choked out.

This was pathetic, he was pathetic. Fine than, I thought. I can at least make this interesting. So, I throw him to the ground. He scrambled on the ground trying to get up.

"Little boy, little boy. You really should have stayed at home today." I laughed as I took out my sword. I had decided to go old fashion as I pointed and waved my sword at him and yelled, "Come on boy, get up!" He tried to get up but stumbled and fell backwards in fear. "Come on now. Pick up your sword and fight me," I taunted. "I am a gentleman after all, so why would I fight an unarmed man? Besides, that would be all too easy."

He draw his sword and started swinging at me. Poor boy probably couldn't even hit a tree. He then fell and his sword went flying.

"Some gentlemen," he muttered under his breath. Gladly and deviously l smirked at him as I once again picked him up by the collar of his shirt.

"Why are you doing this?" he whimpered.

"Because I can."

The boy's eyes were full of fear. He knew what was coming next, we both knew. I had shove my hand into his chest and was just about to rip out the boys heart, when I heard a familiar voice shouting at me.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, you put that boy down this instant!" she yelled very angrily at me as she came over towards us. I took my hand out and dropped him instantly. He healed up shortly after. He was definitely a werewolf.

"Hello my dear. How was your trip with the girls?" I smiled weakly as she stared me down.

"Do not try to change the subject on me, Niklaus!" If anything shouldn't I have been mad at her? After all, the boy was looking for her.

We both realized the boy was still there when he cleared his throat and spoke, "Thank God you are here."

He stood up and she gently cupped the right side of his face. "Nikolaus, what are you doing here?"

"I am sorry. I am so sorry, but it was an emergency. I do not know how, but I-" I cut him off.

"I'm sorry, but how do you two know each other?" I was a little angry, but mostly confused... Okay, I was very angry. I needed to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing I did.

"Well, Nik. You see..." she scratched her head and tilted it ever so slightly. "Oh, Nik! I just missed you so much!" she exclaimed as she hugged me.

I let her hug me for a second and then pushed her away. I had my hands on either side of her and looked her in the eye. "Do not try to change the subject on me, Rufina." I mocked and she sighed.

"I am her son," the boy cut into the conversation.

"What?" I said so softly that only a vampire could barely hear it. Her son how could this be? I was hurt, confused, truthfully I was heartbroken. It did not make any sense. We gave ourselves to each other on our wedding night, I would have known if she was pregnant. Besides vampires can't procreate.

The love of my life could not have just... Could she?

"I am her son," the boy stated again as if I were stupid.

"I heard you the first time, boy," I growled.

"Nik, please. Let me explain," she pleaded as I started walking away. She blurred in front of me and I was now face to face with her. The woman who I adored with every fiber in my body, the woman who I would die for, the woman who I married! "Please. I am sorry. I know you are angry, but please just calm down and let me explain. I promise it is not as bad as it looks."

NOT AS BAD AS IT LOOKS! Impossible. I was far past angry.

It took every ounce of self control I had to not lose it. I took a breath and calmly nodded. She lead me to the house and the boy followed right behind.

Once inside the house we made our way to the sitting room. She gestured for this Nikolaus and I to sit on the couch while she sat across from us.

"Look, Nik. I am truly sorry. I-"

"Save it." I was still in shock that she would keep something from me. She was causing my heart to break and all I could seem to feel was anger. Maybe I would be forced to turn it off completely later. "Explain this," I dramatically gestured to the boy.

"You realize I am right here, right?" the boy asked.

"That was the point."

"Listen you two, because I am only going to explain this story once... Nik, do you remember that party the whole village throw about a year before Ester turned you and your siblings into vampires?"

I nodded. "Vaguely. I remember that there was a party, I just cannot recall anything from the actual party." Why would she bring up some stupid village festival?

Funny how little wolf boy had not reacted yet. Did he not know he was in a house full of vampires?

"Well, as you can probably recall we went together as friends..."

**Flash Back in Red's P.O.V.**

"It was going to be a wonderful evening", I thought to myself.

Nik had asked me to go to the annual harvest festival with him, as friends of course. Without hesitation I said yes. I liked him of course... I mean we were friends, but I was not sure if I had any other feelings towards him. Tonight seemed like a good night to find out. After all, most true feelings come out when you're drunk, right?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and of course it was Nik. "Why did he have to look so handsome," I thought to myself. I had not seen him yet but I know he looked handsome, he always did. He was making this hard for me to just want to be friends with him. After all, what if I did have feelings for him and it ruined our friendship?

My mother had answered the door and Lucy was complaining to her.

"Hello, Niklaus," she warmly greeted him.

"Hello, Mrs. Edwards."

"Please, come in. Rufina should be down in a minute." He nodded and sat down.

"Mother, why can I not go to the festival?" Lucy whined as I walked down the stairs and of course he looked good.

"Because I said so. Besides, you are far too young to go."

"But Mother, Red gets to go. She even gets to go with a date." I made eye contact with Nik when she said this, we both blushed and looked away.

"That is different. She is older than you and she is not going on a date. She is just going with Niklaus." Oh yes that was right, we were just friends. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at her.

Nik got up and walked over to greet me as they left the room. "Good evening, Miss Edwards," he said to me as he gently kissed my hand. It made me blush.

"Good evening, Mr. Mikaelson," I replied politely.

"Shall we." He gestured to the door and held out his arm for me to take.

"We Shall," I replied and took his arm.

We walked to the festival in silence, but it was nice. We were still arm and arm when we got there. Then, he whispered, "Pardon my manners, but I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look tonight," into my ear.

It was nice and sent shivers down my spine. I blushed and replied, "Well Mr. Mikaelson you must pardon my manners as well, for I forgot to tell you how handsome you look."

"Why thank you." He smiled almost nervously.

After we got there we started laughing, dancing, and getting drunk.

I saw Lucy there with Kol. She had obviously snuck out to be with him. They were more off to the side to keep their relationship on the down low., however, this would be the night that Mary Ann would claim she slept with Kol on. The next few weeks weren't exactly going to be the best with that to top it off.

I wildly danced with Kol and Rebekah a little. Then, I danced with Elijah to more of a slow song, but I mostly danced with Nik. I felt like I danced with him all night. He made me feel alive, like I could do anything.

I was so drunk that I started wandering off into the woods away from all of the people and the fire. Nik followed me.

"Tag you're it!" I said to him as I touch him and run off.

"No fair!" he called out to me as he ran after me.

"You can not catch me," I teased.

I was too quick for him, so I decided I should just let him catch me, as usual. I slowed down my drunken pace and he soon caught up. He sloppily yet gracefully tackled me to the ground.

"Caught you," he whispered into my ear as he lay on top of me.

For a moment we just shared into eachothers eyes. I had a feeling we were both thinking the same thing. So, I grabbed his shirt and pulled his lips down to meet mine. I kissed him so passionately, and he kissed me back! He was drunk, so it might have clouded his judgement, but it did not matter because both of our judgements were clouded. Nothing mattered, except for the next moments we shared.

One thing lead to another and you get the picture...

After, we got dressed and walked back like nothing had ever happened. We were both hammered, after all. I did not see him at the rest of the party that night. I assumed he was with Kol. I figured he would not remember that night, I almost forgot myself. I would have forgot too, if it had not been for the weeks after...

**A Few Weeks Later**

Lucy had just found out about Kol and she was devastated. There was not really much I could do, but I tried to help her. Whenever Elijah visited she became even more upset. I had to lie to him about why she was upset and I felt bad, but I had to do it.

I was getting dressed for the day, but my dress would not fit.

"Rufina, get down here this instant! You breakfast is getting cold," my mother yelled to me.

"Just a minute!" I yelled back.

Ten minutes later I still could not get it on completely. So, my mother decided to make sure I was not dying up there.

"Rufina Edwards, what in heavens name is causing you to take so long!" she exclaimed as she entered the room.

"It is my dress, mother. It does not fit!" I whined.

"Did you gain weight, my dear?" she asked.

"NO! I most certainly did not!"

She looked at me for a good long minute before I throw up in a bucket. Then, she looked at me as if I were the devil.

"What in heaven's name have you done child!"

"Done? Mother, I know not what I have done. What are you talking about?" She glared at me.

"Who did this to you?" she hissed.

"Did what?"

"Who impregnated you?" She was angry now.

"No one. Whatever are you talking about?" I was so confused. I had no idea of how this could ever happen.

"Rufina," she said as she sat next to me on my bed. "You are with child. Now, my dear, tell me who did this to you."

"I do not know. Besides, there is no possible way for me to be with child."

"Let's see. Elijah? No, he is too kind to you. What about Niklaus?" she asked me.

"What? Mother, we are just friends. Nothing like that has ever happened between us." I tried to explain to her.

"It was him, I am sure of it! He did take you to the festival after all."

'Maybe she was right, maybe it was him, maybe I was with child,' I thought to myself. Then it hit me, the festival. Suddenly, I remember it. I remembered all of it. I then dramatically through my head back on the bed in frustration.

"Do not worry, dear. I will figure something out, but first you must promise me something." I nodded in agreement. "Promise me that you will not tell anyone of this, not even your sister. Promise me child that you do not tell anyone of this child."

"I promise, mother."

And with that she sent me away for almost a year. She had told everyone that I was visiting family, my grandparent to be exact. It was not a complete lie. I was visiting them, but I was also having a baby.

I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He had my hair and his father's eyes. His name was Nikolaus Elijah Mikaelson. Of course he had to drop the last name when he was sent away. His middle name was Elijah, after his uncle of course. I gave it to him because he was one of my best friends and I wanted my son to be moral like his uncle. His first name Nikolaus was sort of after his father. His father's name was Niklaus, but he hated his name. So I added a letter to it. That way he could share his father's name without sharing it.

They then took my beautiful baby boy away from me and sent him to live with a nice family in Italy.

After more than nine long months of being away I was more than thrilled to get home. I only wished I still had my son. I had decided to confuse my love to Nik as soon as I got home, however, first thing my mother did when I got home was try and force me to marry that awful Henry. I refused of course, but my mother and Henry were quite persistent. That was putting a dent in my confuse my love to Nik plan.

I found him and Elijah in a field chasing after who else but Tatia. After a few moments they noticed me.

"Hello. Rufina, is that you?" asked Elijah as he came closer.

"Yes, yes it is. Hello Elijah," I said as he came over to hug me.

"I trust your trip was good, yes?" I nodded.

"Yes, it was certainly different." He smiled at me.

Nik didn't even make an effort to notice me. He was too occupied with his precious Tatia. She made me sick. I knew that day when I saw the three of the that she was playing them both. Her games made me sick.

A few weeks later Nik and I got back to where we were, friends. Then, one day when he caught me... well I suppose you already know that story. The story of the day that he admit he missed me and was trying to make me jealous. The day we fell truly in love...

Even on that day, I did not tell him of his son. I was afraid. Truth be told I was a coward, maybe I still am...

After I became a hybrid and had some control over myself I started visiting/watching over my son. The first time I visited I compelled his "family" to love him as if he was their own and to never tell him of his really family. Ultimately, I had compelled them to think that he was their biological child.

**A.N.**

**So, what did you think? Personally this is one of my favorite chapter so far, if not my favorite. It's close between this one and the end of **_**The Transformation**_ **when he carries her home. I just love how he didn't complain once, he just took care of her. Now that is some serious love if you ask me!**

**Thanks for reading and please review! Also, more secrets shall be revealed when we hit the present, but first there will be some more in this time, then in Katherine's time, maybe the 90's, and then the present. However will Klaus take this news? Will he reject his son and treat him as Mikael had treated him? Will he hate his wife? Or will he forgive her and love his son? And how does the werewolf thing come into play? Well I guess you will just have to wait and see...**

**Thanks again for reading and please review (:**

**(More awesomeness soon to come!)**


	13. Chapter 13: What if I Was Like Him

_Chapter 13: What if I Was Like Him_

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

I was in shock. What was she talking about? Nothing made sense anymore. I remembered that that night I went with Red to the party.

Back then I was desperate for her attention, but was afraid of the after. So, being friends always seemed best. Elijah was of course mad for weeks that I took her instead of him. That moment was a win for me. During the party I remembered close to nothing. I only remembered drinking. After that, things of course got quite hazy.

Honestly, who knows what could have happened during the party.

I remember that a few weeks later she left. They told me that she was visiting some relatives and would be back within a year, but I had my doubts and fears. I feared that she would never be coming back and it hurt me more than she would ever know. The thought of being without the one who completes you, that is an evil thought. I doubted if she would even remember me when and if she came back.

I believe the night that I picked her up for the festival was the night I fell for her, and I fell hard. The way she looked, the way she smelt, the way her arm was gently touching mine. It was all too much. I even forgot to compliment her when I first saw her, something Elijah would never forget to do.

Was it possible that this boy is my son? I was drunk and I had fallen for her. Maybe all the alcohol was clouding my mind of my feelings. But, if I slept with her I would have remembered, I was sure of that. But, she was an impeccable liar after all.

About a month after she left I was heartbroken at the thought that I would never see her again. She had consumed my thought. I wanted her more than ever. I vowed that if I ever saw her again I would make her mine and tell her how I felt about her regardless of the aftermath.

More time went by and I had convinced myself she was NEVER coming back. I decided to try and move on. I tried to find a new interest, Tatia. Of course Elijah was all over her too, but I could take the competition. At one point I might have even forgotten her, but only for a moment.

When I saw her from the distance after about nine, maybe even ten months I was shocked. At first I thought she was a ghost, after all she didn't even say goodbye to me. I thought that maybe this was her saying goodbye to me, but I could not face her. It would only hurt and cause anger to consume me.

I went on with my life as if she was not there. Then, one day I realized it was her, but she was different. She was sad, I could tell by straighness in her hair. I figured it was because I was avoiding her and refusing to believe in her presence. Maybe even because of that stupid Henry. I knew she would be ashamed of me for getting myself involved with someone like Tatia.

In the end, maybe I was trying to make her jealous. Maybe I just wanted to hurt my brother for being so close to the women that I loved. Maybe I just needed a distraction.

But, it was all a mistake. Everything I did when she was away was a mistake, and I did it all because of her.

I needed her to keep me grounded.

At the realization that she was really there I decided to go to her. I went straight to her house to apologize for avoiding her. My only thought, 'She needs to forgive me. She has to forgive me."

I was desperate and I needed her. If in the end I had to settle for her friendship then that was fine. As long as I was in her life. God that moment always made me feel like Elijah. 'Yuck,' I thought to myself.

"You can not be serious!" I looked at her full of confusion and anger. The boy just sat there.

"Fine, do not believe me! But, I can prove it," she huffed.

"How?"

"Only if you stop being mad at me." She was testing my patience. "I hate when you are mad at me," she whispered very lowly.

I hated when I was made at her too. It was worse than when she was mad at me.

When I was mad at her it tore me apart from the inside out. It eat me alive.

I sighed. "Fine. I am not mad at you anymore, I promise." It hurt me to say that, because I was not sure yet if I meant it.

She gave me her 'I do not believe you, but fine' look. "Nik, just look at him." I couldn't really look at him, but I eyed him up and down quickly. Truthfully, I did not want to look. It hurt to much. "No. Nik, look into his eyes. Do you not see it?"

I saw it. I clearly saw it, but maybe it was some sort of illusion. But, it was not.

I was angry, confused, and about to blow my top. So, I blurred out of the room. I ran until I got to the far side of some woods. I was so angry that I could not take it. I started destroying the forest around me. With in seconds, dozens of trees had fallen to my feet in.

I was breathing heavily through my anger, but I started to come back down to Earth when she was only a few feet away from me. 'Of course she went after me,' I thought. I knew that she would always go after me.

There was a long pause. I was nervously looking down at the ground, while she stared at me trying to think of what to say. In frustration, I started pacing to try and cool down once more.

"He has your eyes," she said softly, breaking the silence and causing me to stop and look at her. She was right, he did. They almost even sucked me in. I half smiled. "And he has you mouth. He even smirks exactly the same way as you." She looked at me with pleading eyes for forgiveness.

She was absolutely right. He had some of the same features as me. I felt my anger slowly transform into happiness as a thought occurred to me, 'I had a son.'

"Nik, I am so so sorry I did not tell you, but my mother made me promise. I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you as soon as I got back, but then I saw you with Tatia and I got scared. I then let crazy thoughts fly into my head. Like what if you did not love him, what if you did not love me, what if it was a mistake?" she blurted out.

"I have a son," I whispered... "He has your hair." She smiled and nodded.

I came to a realization. A realization that maybe this was a good thing. I always wanted children, children with Red.

Then, as she walked up to face me I remembered something. I attacked my own son. I almost killed him. I was just like him. I was just like Mikael, if not worse. I had almost killed my own son.

I felt a silent tear fall as Red gentle touched my face to show me that she was there for me. I wanted so badly to be mad at her for lying and keeping this from me, but I could not. I was too focused on the present, the situation that was in my house. The fact that I had a son. The problem was that I was afraid. I was afraid I would be like Mikael. I had always promise myself that one day if I ever was father that I would be the best I could be, but could I really do that?

When she saw my tear she knew she needed to comfort me further. She always knew when I needed her.

She pulled me into a hug and after a few seconds I gave in and wrapped my arms around her. Then, I pulled away from her because I was angry once again with myself.

I quickly pulled a tree out of the ground, throw it, and yelled, "I almost killed him! I almost killed my own son! I was going to kill him." The last part came as the faintest whisper. I started to break down as I let silent tears fall and myself fall to my knees. I clawed and gripped the dirt in frustration.

Red dropped to her knees to meet me at my level. We let our foreheads rest on one anothers as she tried to calm me and I released my grip from the dirt. It was like we could feel each other from the inside with just a simple touch. It caused me to remember, to remember that night. It was all coming back. I had always loved her, and even though I was drunk that night it had been one of the best nights of my existence.

"I-I remember, and I'm scared," I whispered.

"I know," she whispered back. "'I know. I am too." That alone comforted me. Her voice always made things better.

"I do not want to be like him, like Mikael. It-it scares me. I-I-," I was starting to get choked up.

"I know," she replied once more. "It was best for him you know. For him to be raised by normal humans."

"I know," I sighed and lifted my head away from hers.

"We should go talk to him and figure this all out." I nodded.

She got up and then helped me up. We were walking back to the house when I blurted out, "He should stay here. He should live with us." She froze in her tracks and smiled.

"I agree."

We then proceeded on our rather long walk back and I let my fingers innocently intertwine with hers. We were both content, we had what we always wanted.

At the house I followed her to the room that our son was in. 'Our son. That was what I had always wanted to hear,' I thought to myself.

He was surrounded by my family, no, our family.

They were all intensely staring at him unsure of what to do. This was going to take a lot of explaining, but we decided to give them the short version.

"So, he is your son?" Kol questioned Red. He was obviously shocked and amused.

"Yes."

"And Niklaus is the father? Are you sure?"

"Kol! I am pretty sure I would know who the father of my son is. Jeez."

Elijah did not seem to happy to find out that I was the father. He did not show any feelings towards it, but I could just tell. On the other hand Rebekah and Lucy were all too excited about it.

"I think some formal introduces are in order," said Elijah.

"Yes, of course. Nikolaus these are your uncles Elijah and Kol." She gestured towards them. "And that is your aunt Rebekah and your aunt Lucy." Once again gesturing. "And of course Nik is you father. Everybody this is Nikolaus Elijah Mikaelson."

His middle name was Elijah! That angered me and I was never going to hear the end of it from Elijah. He may have one that round, but I will always be that boys father.

Everybody seemed to be shocked with the news, but they took it with great acceptance and warmly welcomed the boy into their arms.

"We are all basically vampires incase you haven't noticed yet," stated Lucy. The boy nodded, he didn't really know what to say. I wouldn't have either if I were him.

We could have our father/son moment later. Right now it was business. "Coming back to the beginning. I see that you have activated your curse, yes?"

"Yes," said the boy. "That is actually why I am here. I do not know how it happened. I do not remember killing anyone. I am lost and mother you told me to come to you if this ever happened. I do not know what I am to do." She sighed, she did not know what to say.

I jumped in with a slight smile, I did not want to overwhelm the poor boy with my full on smiling. "You are staying here, with us. This is your new home," I said almost warmly with a hint of excitement in my voice. The only one who of course who caught on to that was Red.

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	14. Chapter 14: My Boy

_Chapter 14: My Boy_

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

The girls were all too excited that he was to live with us. They immediately found him a room and got him settled.

Kol seemed quite pleased that this boy, my son, would be living with us. Probably because he was looking for someone to cause trouble with him. After all, what could be better than a vampire/werewolf tag team mayhem combo.

Elijah... Well, he was obviously sad that the boy was not his. But, on the other hand, he at least seemed happy that he was an uncle.

Thank God Fin wasn't here. Who knows what would have happened then.

Red had told our son that tomorrow the three of us could talk about it all.

My fluttered open and I was confused. I looked to my left and she wasn't there. 'What?' I thought to myself. Whenever I woke up and she wasn't there I almost had a panic attack. It gave me the what if feeling. It made me feel as if she was gone and was never coming back. It made me think of the promise I made to her, that I would never let my curse consume me or she would leave. For that small moment that I was in shock I felt like I had let it consume me, and that she had left. Thankfully it wasn't the case.

Normally when I woke up Red was fast asleep and snuggled into me. She was such a cuddler, the best cuddler. She always hated sleeping alone, as did I.

I lifted the covers next to me to see if she was there, she was not. 'I would have heard her get up. Right?'

Then, suddenly, she bursted into the room from one of the side rooms in our room. She was already dressed in a lovely blue dress, she looked delicious.

She walked over to me and pulled the covers off of me, almost sending me to the floor.

"Nik, get dressed!" she begged. "Please," she batted her eyelashes.

"Good morning to you to, love," I said in my morning voice.

"Yes, yes. Now, can you please get dressed."

"Maybe... If you come back to bed." I pulled her down to my lap and started to kiss her neck.

"Nik. We. Cannot. Do. This. Now." She had clearly struggled to get those words out, I know she didn't want me to stop. But, sadly I stopped and looked at her.

"And why is that?"

"Because we have to talk to our son this morning. Remember? You know Nikolaus, he is about your height, my hair, your eyes, happens to be our son. Please get dressed we are suppose to meet him in five minutes."

"I remember, I remember." With that I flashed out of the room, changed, and was back with minutes to spare.

"Better?"

"Much. Now can we please go," she whined. She was definitely eager to talk to him today.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Only if you kiss me first," I teased.

"You're so full of it," she said and then kissed me.

She went for a peck, but I didn't let her escape that easily. I quickly deepened the kiss. Within seconds her hands were all over me. I had her right where I wanted her, so I pulled away.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because we have to meet Nikolaus in a minutes. You remember him, right? About my height, you hair, my eyes, happens to be our son?"

"Your cruel," she teased as she playfully hit me on the chest and I smirked.

* * *

Nikolaus was already waiting for us in the garden. He was pacing back and forth. Poor lad was confused, but it was funny how he seemed to pace at the same things I would have and he did it the same way I did.

"Nikolaus?" asked Red. She was trying to get his attention, but she did not get it till about the fourth time she called his name.

"What? Oh, I am sorry. I was lost in my thoughts. It is all just a tad bit overwhelming."

"You and me both," I said.

We all sat down.

"So... Why don't we start with you and the curse?" I ask the boy and he nodded.

"Well, a while ago mother told me about the curse, but of course I did not believe her. It all sounded... supernatural. Last week something happened to me. All of a sudden my eyes were glowing and I was transforming. The pain was unbearable and I did not know what to do. Next thing I did when I was normal again was race here. I was, I am so confused. I had never killed anyone before, so how is it I turned?"

This was definitely strange.

"I do not know. I do not understand myself," I replied.

"There is nothing we can do about it now. The only thing we can do is help you through your transformations." The boy nodded. He seemed to understand the situation.

"I am confused. Are you vampires or werewolves?" he asked.

Red and I both laughed. "That is a complicated and long story." I replied.

"I have time."

"Long story short," I chuckled. "Both of our mothers had affairs with werewolves. I am one of the oldest vampires around. After I was created I obviously killed. But, my mother had put a spell on me, so that I would not change. She locked my werewolf side away causing it to remain dormant. Only when I break the curse she placed on my can I be free." I sighed. "Your mother on the other hand... Well, we are still a little confused on that subject. If you try and change a werewolf into a vampire they die. She had not activated her curse yet, but she died with my blood in her system. She became a vampire and after her first kill she became both, a hybrid." I was still a little jealous of her.

"And me?" he asked.

"You. You are of werewolf blood."

"So, someday I will just die, while you two live forever?"

"Basically."

"Then why not turn me into a vampire."

"Because you will die." 'Was he not listening to my story? Jeez, being a father is hard.'

"But it work for you, mother."

"That is different, we have no idea how that worked. Besides, I refuse to put your life at risk like that," she said.

After that conversation it all seemed to click. Somehow we all started bonding. When there was a full moon we helped him with his transition. Red would transform to to keep an eye on him throughout the night.

The whole father thing just seemed to fall into place. At first it was awkward. But, I broke that wall the day I offered to teach him how to sword fight. I must admit, at first he sucked, but then with the right teacher, me, he had great skill. Ha, great skill, more like my skill. After that day we seemed to understand one another.

Life seemed... perfect.

Kol had taken it upon himself to be the 'cool uncle'. Therefore, they were almost always hanging out. Kol taught him how to get girls and piss any guy off. But, most importantly he showed him how to have fun, something that was not too familiar in the family he grew up in.

I admit it, I loved my son and I made sure I told him that. I love you was something Mikael never told me, and that always brought me down. I wasn't going to make the same mistakes as my father. After all, one day my son his would die and I will only be left with my memories of him.

**Third Person P.O.V**.

"You know I love you, right?" Klaus asked his son as he put a hand on his shoulder.

The boy nodded. "Yes, I know. I love you too, father."

With that Klaus felt a new feeling and in an instead he pulled his son in for a hug. Then, after a few moments of father/son bonding they both pulled away.

"My 'father' never hugged me or told me he loved me. So, I just wanted you to know."

"Thank you. My 'father' never told me that either, even after seventeen years. So, I know how you feel."

Nikolaus and his father had spent the whole day together. They both started walking over to Rufina and Elijah.

Nik snuck up behind Red and put his arms around her. They were back to chest and after a few kisses to the neck he had his head resting in the crook of her neck.

"Nik, stop it," she giggled.

"I missed you," he whispered and this made her smile. They then began to walk away after Red spoke a few words to her son and bid him farewell.

"And where are you two heading off to?" questioned Elijah.

"Lij, you need to worry a little less, relax. We have a date," Rufina announced. They walked away and she shouted from afar, "See you two tomorrow!"

"You love her, do you not?" the young boy asked his uncle.

"Nikolaus, what are you talking about?"

"It is in the eyes, you know. The way you look at my mother is the same way I use to look at-" there was a pause. "At Alice."

"And what happened with this Alice?"

"We were in love. She was the prettiest and smartest Italian women that I had ever met. We had plans for the future to leave our village, neither of us ever felt like we belonged. But, one day-" The atmosphere started to get depressing. "One day she was gone. She just left. She never even said goodbye."

"Why did she leave?"

"I do not know. No one would ever tell me. All I know is that I loved her, I still love her. And I do not think I will ever be able to get over her." He sighed. "What about you? Do you wish to tell me your story or shall I just guess? It is rather obvious, if you ask me."

"Personal, I would like to know what you assume. After all your mother and I are just-"

"Friends?" he cut Elijah off. "Let me guess... You and my father both loved her. You were her friend back in the day, perhaps best friends. But, yet, she always liked your brother more. She would maybe even talk about him when you were with her. You were stuck so deep in the friend zone that when your brother put the moves on her, you were helpless to stop it. I bet you even gave her away at the wedding. In the end, you only wish for her happiness. Therefore, you would do anything for her, and if that means she has to be with my father for that to happen, for her to be happy, then you let her... Am I correct?"

Elijah was puzzled. 'How could this boy be that right?' he thought to himself.

"Something like that. How do you-"

"Like I said, it is in the eyes. Mostly when she says your name, but even more when she says one of her nicknames for you. She does not even know, does she?"

"She does not and I intend to keep it like that."

"I understand," said the boy and then they parted ways.

* * *

A year or so went by and after a full moon one day Nikolaus went to have a chat with his mother.

"Mother?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"It is about the curse... I-I do not wish it upon anyone and if I ever have descendants I do not wish for them to endure this pain."

"I understand. I felt the same way."

"If there is ever a way to remove it or to... Honestly I do not know, but -" Nikolaus was not really sure what to say, but of course his mother did.

"Nikolaus, I promise you that if I ever find a way to get rid of the curse for our family, then I will help. You have my word."

"Thank you."

* * *

A few more years went by in the Mikaelson household. The family had moved quite often, due to the fact the Mikael kept getting rather too close for comfort. Now, they were in Spain.

Mikael was hot on their trail and this time he would have a victory. He would go after the two weakest members of the family...

Lucy and Nikolaus were taking a lovely stroll through the streets of Spain. They both enjoys walking through a town and exploring together whenever they moved.

"I think I am going to enjoy it here in Spain," Lucy told her nephew.

"As do I," said a man from behind the two with a smirk on his face.

The two turned around and Lucy gasped as she realized who it was.

It. Was. Mikael...

**A.N.**

**Thanks for reading! I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this story ): I haven't gotten any new followers/favs in a while or that many reviews. Let me know if you want me to continue or not... It would be sad if I had to stop, because I have such plans for the human Katharine time period and the end of season 2-3 time period...**

**Thanks for reading and PLEASE review! (:**


	15. Chapter 15: Trouble in Paradise

_Chapter 15: Trouble in Paradise_

**Third Person P.O.V.**

"Nik, they should have been back by now," Red whined.

"Stop worrying, love. They probably just got lost," he replied.

"Lucy never gets lost and it has never taken them this long to return," she paused. "You don't think-"

"Do not even think that!" he snapped at her. Then, he thought about it. 'Maybe she was right.'

The truth was then confirmed when one of Klaus' lackeys came in in a panic. He was badly beaten, blood was everywhere, and his clothes were ripped.

Panting he said, "He wanted me to give you a message." Klaus just looked at the lackey, whose name he had long forgotten. "It's over, just surrender." With that the lackey pulled out a stake and stabbed himself directly in the heart. Mikael had obviously compelled the messenger, because everyone knows killing the messenger sends a message.

Rufina was on the verge of sobbing, but bravely fought it back. She had to stay strong, for now.

Niklaus became furious and picked up the nearest vase and throw it. It shattered into a thousand pieces, just like his heart would.

They didn't speak a word to each other. No words weren't needed, they were empty and meant nothing at this point. They both knew what they needed to do.

* * *

"Why?" whimpered Lucy.

Her and Nikolaus were both chained to a wall in some type of dungeon. Her chains soaked in vervain, his in wolfsbane. Mikael had beaten both to a pulp and felt nothing.

"Because I can... And it adds to the effect. You see my main priority is to kill Niklaus."

"But, he is your son."

"He never was. Besides, he is an abomination. I really didn't need to drag you two into this, but alas, he cares for you both and you two are the weakest. He will most surely come for you soon and when he does I will kill you both. I will make him watch you slowly die and then I will kill him. After that I will kill all my children. Or maybe I will kill all his family first and then show him mercy. That would only be fair after he watches everyone he loves dies, especially when he watches his wife die. But, when she dies he will probably try to kill himself, so I would only be doing him a favor."

"You are sick," Nikolaus spat as he choked up blood.

Mikael only laughed. "You have no idea, boy. Oh? What is that? I believe that's them. Took them long enough."

The door was open, but they couldn't get into the room that Mikael was in. He had put a spell on the room to keep people out. That was all part of his plan to make sure Niklaus suffered, everyone else was simply collateral damage.

Red, Klaus, Elijah, and Kol, Rebekah was backing up the house, were all standing just out of reach of the three in the room.

"Ah, Niklaus, lovely for you to come to the party," Mikael said as he took his knife, dipped it in wolfsbane, and began to cut different parts of Klaus' son.

Nikolaus tried to fight it, but he couldn't help but let out cries of pain. The pain was unbearable and he had nothing left as he was soon to die.

Klaus growled and Red shouted, "Nikolaus!" she called out. "Everything will be alright, I promise. Mikael, please he doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Rufina, you shouldn't make promises you can never keep. Besides, he has everything to do with this, as do you," Mikael said before he slowly started to inflict more pain on the boy.

Then, Mikael shoved his hand into the boy's chest and gripped his heart. Lucy was too weak to even try to help.

"NO!" cried out Klaus as he ran into the arch way. He then got a massive headache, because he couldn't enter and was flung back. "Take me instead! Leave him out of this!"

"Oh, I will take you down, boy. But, first I am going to kill the ones you love before your very eyes." With that Mikael ripped out Nikolaus' heart and let it fall to the floor.

Nikolaus was dead and the family was falling apart.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!" cried Red as she tried to run to him, but Nik held her in his grasp. He knew if he let go all hell would break loose, for both of them. She was sobbing hysterically and was loosing all the fight she had left.

Then, Mikael made his way to Lucy.

"You wouldn't dare," growled Kol.

"You underestimate me, son," Mikael said as he staked Lucy. He missed the first few times on purpose, causing her great pain.

"Lucy!" he cried as Mikael final showed her mercy and finished her off.

"I suggest you get a head start and run," Mikael said emotionlessly.

They didn't hesitate to run. Nik maintained his grip on Red and made a break for it. While Elijah had to drag a stunted and forever ruined Kol.

Rebekah had everything already moved out and sent to their next location. She would meet them there.

The only thing heard in their carriage were sobs and cries of misery.

Hearts were broken and lives had been shattered.

Red was clung to Klaus, crying into his shirt. He tried to comfort her, but he was too depressed and upset to think straight. He just rubbed her back, the only thing he could think of doing.

He had lost his beloved sister in law and his only son. He knew that one day his son would die, but this was too soon. There was still so much he had planned to do with him before that day had ever came. The boy was only twenty one, that was too young to die.

Elijah sat there emotionlessly. He didn't know what to think for once in his life.

Kol on the other hand couldn't take it anymore. He was angry, frustrated, and couldn't believe he just let that happen. His life was now grumpling before him. He had had the whole night planned. Use his nephew, who he loved, to get Lucy out of the house. Then, he would set up something romantic and make his move.

It was all his fault, he had thought to himself. He should have been with her, he should have never let her out of his sight. But, he did. The only person he had to blame was himself.

We could not take it anymore. So, he hopped out of the moving carriage to be on his own. He was leaving his family for now. He needed to be alone for now, maybe even a few centuries or so.

"Kol, where are you going?" Red called to him.

"I just need some time," he called back to her as he headed off.

Before he left, he had slipped a small box into Red's pocket. She didn't have to open it to know what it was. It was an engagement ring... Kol had planned on proposing to Lucy, but now he would never be able to propose to the only women he would ever truly love.

Now, Kol was damaged. No, he was broken. Was it even possible for him to be fixed?

Was it even possible for anyone in the Mikaelson family to be fixed?

How could any of them ever recover?

**A.N.**

**Thanks for reading! Okay, I am so sorry, but my updating is going to be less often and stuff. But! I have reasons... Long story short I ended up in AP World History and with 7 classes (Please someone kill me). I had to do the whole summer assignment over the weekend and it SUCKED! (hand cramp) Also, I have crew all the time and no time to do HW. On the plus side I think I'm going to make varsity, as a sophomore I might add. Crew ends in 8 weeks so by then I'll have order in my life, A.K.A. time to type.**

**BTW I will try to breeze through the the current season, so we can get to awesome new one. It'll prob move to current and have flashbacks of important stuff, which will happen ASAP.**

**P.S. What do you guys think will happen to the family. Also, I am sorry my chapter was brief and lacked details, but I wanted to give you guys something.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	16. Chapter 16: The Newest Petrova

_Chapter 16: The Newest Petrova_

_(2x8)_

**Third Person P.O.V.**

"Considering Mystic Falls is three or so hours away this is obviously going to be about Katerina," Red stated to Elijah. "I really wish that bitch would just die already."

Elijah let out a chuckle as he stepped into the drivers seat. "You and me both. But, the question is do we investigate and such?"

"Investigate? Oh, please. I already did that."

"And?"

"And I think you will be quite amused. Lets just say we can finally get what we want," Red said to Elijah as they headed to the remote location to meet Rose.

Rufina had more than just did her homework. She had done her research, she had been for quite sometime now.

* * *

Elijah gentle pushed open the door to reveal a dirty looking mansion that could definitely use a paint job and a good dusting.

There he stood with Rufina at his side as Rose descended the stairs.

"Rose-Marie. Is there somewhere we can talk?" asked Elijah

"Yes, in here. You have to forgive the house."

"Oh, no, what's a little dirt? We completely understand," said Rufina as they walked in and shut the door.

"So tell us, what is it that gives you the courage to call me?" asked Elijah as they walked into the next room.

"I wanted my freedom. I'm tired of running," replied Rose.

"Understandable," said Red.

"You in a position to grant me that?" she asked.

"I have complete authority to grant pardon to you and your little pet. What is his name these days? Trevor. If I so see fit," said Elijah as he browsed the room.

"Katerina Petrova?" she asked.

Right then Elijah knew whatever Red knew was absolutely correct. "I'm listening."

"She didn't burn in the church in 1864."

'Well obviously', thought Red as Elijah took a seat.

"Continue."

"She survived."

'No shit, captain obvious', thought Red.

"Where is she?" he asked Rose.

"You don't seem surprise by this."

"Oh, when you called and invited me into this armpit of civilizations, which is a mere 3 hours from the town we know as Mystic Falls, we surmise it had everything to do with Katerina."

"Do you have her in your position?" chimed in Rufina.

"No, but I have better. I have her doppelganger."

"That's impossible, her family line ended with her. I know that for fact," he told her.

"The facts are wrong."

"Well, show her to me."

"Elijah, you are a man of honor, you should be trusted but I want to hear you say it again," said Rose as she took only a few steps closer to the greatly feared original and the hybrid.

Of course Rose had no idea that Red was a hybrid. She simply knew that she was an old vampire that was somehow friends with Elijah and that was her connection to the Original Family.

"You'd think that after all these years people could just remember that you are a man of honor. I've never forgotten it," said Red and she brushed her nails against her jacket and stared at them for a moment.

Brushing off her comment he said, "You have my word that I will pardon you."

"Follow me."

Elijah was quite curious of two things. One, was about the doppelganger. And two, was about what Rufina knew.

They walked down the hallway and stopped at the top of a set stairs which lead to the main room of the house.

The doppelganger was in their view. Elijah seemed shocked. 'It can't be', he thought to himself. On the other hand Red seemed more satisfied. She had been watching the doppelganger for sometime now, and this was definitely her.

Full of shock, Elijah blurred over towards the doppelganger. He stared at her and then moved in almost as if he was to kiss her, but changed directions and smelt her neck.

"Human. It's impossible," he murmured. "Hello there."

"We have a long journey ahead of us. We should be going," said Red.

Elena looks at Rose and pleaded, "Please, don't let them take me." But of course it was no use.

"One last piece of business and we're done," said Elijah as he turned and walked towards Trevor.

"I've waited so long for this day, Elijah. I'm truly, very sorry," Trevor told Elijah.

"Oh no, your apologies not necessary."

"Yes, yes it is. You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you."

"Oh yes, you are the guilty one and Rose aided you because she was loyal to you and that now I honor."

"Where was your loyalty?" asked Red.

"I beg your forgiveness," Trevor told Elijah. "Yours too, Rufina, I failed you as well. I beg for your forgiveness as well." He moved his stare to the ground beneath him.

"So granted," Elijah said.

At that Trevor smiled, but his smile was quickly wiped away when Elijah smacked Trevor's head off of his body in one fluid motion.

Of course Rose started to cry and the doppelganger was in shock.

"You…!" cried Rose. There was only one was to feel when your best friend dies.

"Don't, Rose, now that you are free," said Elijah.

"But, next time, try wording your demands a little differently. Maybe even through in a we here and there instead of an I. Just a suggestion," Red shrugged.

Elijah looks at Elena and walks towards her. "Come," he demanded.

"No, what about the moonstone?" she gasped in fear.

"What do you know about the moonstone?"

"I know that you need it and I know where it is."

"Yes?"

"I can help you get it."

"Tell me where it is."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Are you negotiating with us?" asked Red as she let out a chuckle and Elijah seemed a little surprised at the new doppelgangers courage. He then looked to Rose.

"It's the first I've heard of it," said Rose.

Elijah stared into Elena's eyes and tried to compel her, but it didn't work. But, then he looked at her necklace. "What is this vervain doing around your neck?" he asked and then snatched the necklace clean off her neck and threw it aside. He quickly caught her head and compelled her.

"Tell me where the moonstone is."

"In the tomb, underneath the church ruins." Which of course Red already knew all about.

"What is it doing there?"

"It's with Katherine."

"Interesting."

"I told you this would amuse you," said Red.

Suddenly, they herd the breaking of glass coming from upstairs.

"What is that?" she asked.

"I don't know," replied Rose.

"Who else is in this house?" asked Elijah.

But Red had a feeling of who had come for their precious doppelganger.

"I don't know," she said again.

Elijah quickly grabbed Elena and they all head back to the entrance of the house. Once there two vampires were running around them with their speed. He threw Elena into Rose's arms and gently pushed his precious Rufina off to the side.

"Rose," he said.

"I don't know who it is."

"Up here," said one of the vampires.

Elijah then blurred onto the stairs.

"Down here," said the other.

Suddenly, Elijah received a stake straight through one of his hands. He quickly removed it and tossed it aside. He looked around the room, now he was mad.

A pissed off original is never a good thing.

Rose and the doppelganger had disappeared by the time he looked over to where they stood Red was still out of sight, that was his top priority.

"Excuse me. To whom it may concern, you're making a great mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that?" he said loud enough so the fools could hear him, and of course he had said it quite cockily too. "I repeat, you cannot beat me," he said as he began breaking a wooden coat rack. "So I want the girl, I'm gonna count to 3 or heads will roll," he continued as he broke down his stake, giving it a nice sharp point. "Do we understand each other?"

Then, Elena appeared at the top of the stairs. She had her arms crossed over her chest so that they were hugging her.

"I'll come with you, just please don't hurt my friends, they just wanted to help me out,"  
she said.

With the stake in hand Elijah blurs in front of Elena with his super speed causing her to jump.

"What game are you playing with me?" he questioned.

Suddenly, she takes out the vervain bomb that she had hidden and threw it at his face causing his skin to burn. He lets out a yell of pain, but his burns healed immediately. Full of anger he picked himself up and headed towards Elena. He didn't make it far when Stefan Salvatore appeared and shot him with his compressed air weapon. Stefan attacked Elijah head on and they were both sent tumbling down the stairs. Immediately, Elijah got up and Stefan stayed on the floor. Elijah headed towards Stefan to give him hell, but was interrupted by Damon.

Damon arrives out of nowhere and staked Elijah with his own weapon. Damon managed to push the origional up against the door with the stake. His eyes full of hunger, while Elijah let out a few groans.

He let out a last gasp for breath as he turned grey and his head fell. Elijah was dead with the stake pinning him against the door.

Immediately, Rose left and Damon attempted to follow her. Red remained hidden.

"Just let her go," said Elena.

Damon smiled at her and she smiled back as she rushed down the stairs into Stefan's arm.

"Hey come here. Are you hurt? Are you okay?" Stefan asked.

She looks at Damon while embracing Stefan and mouthed a "thank you." Then, Damon mouthed a "you're welcome" back to her.

The bitch was playing them both. How rude!

* * *

Stefan walked into the study and suddenly heard a vampire running around him. As a reaction he went and got the nearest weapon he could find.

"Who's there?"

Rose comes out from the corner. "I'm not here to hurt you," she told him.

"Why are you here?

"Lexi once told me that you're one of the good ones."

"You knew Lexi?"

"Trevor was my best friend. For 500 years I have lived with one person and he's gone and I don't want to run anymore because I don't have anywhere else to run to."

"Well, I'm sorry but I can't help you."

"I don't need your help but I think you need mine. Elijah may be dead but this isn't over."

"What do you mean "it's not over"?"

"It isn't over. The originals and that girl, they'll come for her."

"Wait. Who is that girl?"

"I believe her to be an original groupie of some sort."

"Some sort?"

"I believe her and Elijah are or were together."

"So she'll come after us? They all will?"

"They have to. They're doing it for him."

"For who?"

"Klaus."

* * *

**Red's P.O.V.**

I was sitting on the stairs with my legs crossed as I leaned back. I was still waiting in the house for Elijah to wake up. About an hour or so later he finally woke up.

He slowly moved his head up, as the color slowly returned to his face. Rolling his eyes he pulled the stake out of his chest and dropped it to the floor.

"Now, wasn't that fun," I said to him with a grin on my face.

"Someone is in a good mood," he grumbled.

"Someone just likes being right." That made him let out a little chuckle. "Come on. Lets go get you cleaned up and reblooddrated," I said to him as I helped him to the car.

"I'm still driving," he said.

"No way! You're injured. Which means it's my turn." I flashed him a smile.

"No, I think not," he replied as he swiftly hopped into the drivers seat and I huffed out a "Fine." And rolled my eyes.

"Care to explain what you are not telling me, Rufina?"

"Not really, but fine. I got a tip on the doppelganger a few months back. Ever since then I've been keeping an eye on her. Basically, I know everything and everyone in her life."

"And?"

"And I told you that Katerina was a slut, but at that time you were too blind to listen to a word I was saying." Which was true. Back then neither Elijah or Niklaus would listen to me. Elijah was to in love with her, even though he kept playing the love is a vampire's greatest weakness card. And Niklaus... well he was being a dick head, as usual. He pretended to not even notice me, unless we were away from the public eye. What a douchebag. I didn't care if he was doing what he was doing for the stupid curse. He hurt me and now it was my turn to hurt him.

"I have apologized for that one too many times. I thought you would let that one go my now."

"When do I ever let anything go?"

"Ah, that's right. You never do." He smirked. "And the girl-"

"Elena."

"Right. Who are her little friends?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention one of my favorite parts. They are the Salvatore brothers. And might I add they are both hopelessly in love with the doppelganger. She's playing them both, just like Katerina played them both. Funny, it reminds me of a similar situation with an even bigger slut than Katerina. Does it not?"

"You just had to bring that one up."

"How could I resist, Lij?"

He only smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Plan?" I asked him.

"Gain access to her house, family, etcetera. Make a deal with her and get her to do nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. We don't need her dead and there is no need to kill an innocent. We just need to lure him out so we can finally kill him." I nodded.

"Just try not to fall for this Petrova. Please, Lij. If you know what's good for you then don't."

"I have no intention of falling for her. Because love is-"

"A vampire's greatest weakness. Yes, Yes. I know, I know."

"Will the Salvatore's be a problem?"

"Lets just say that they would die for her. But, Elijah you need to promise me something."

"Anything."

"You can't kill them and before you ask why I just can't tell you. It's best if no one knows. I'm not ready to share it yet."

"Okay, I understand. I will inflict pain, but I promise not to kill them... Even though one of them just killed me."

I knew he really didn't want to say yes, but I was extremely grateful that he did. I just wasn't ready to share. I could barely admit it to myself. If certain people found out at the wrong time then rage and hell would most definitely rise up.

"Thank you," I told him as I ran my fingers through my dark auburn, straight hair.

I jumped out of the car and headed upstairs to shower and change.

We were currently living in a foreclosed home, but it was quite beautiful.

I showered, changed, and jumped into bed.

I didn't usually sleep well. Well, I use to sleep wonderfully, but now a days I never get much sleep. I was always tossing and turning. The truth was I hated sleeping alone. I had not had a good nights sleep in over 500 years.

Sometimes it made me wonder if I made the right choice and if I was still making the right choice. Maybe if I hadn't left then... NO! I had to leave. I promised I would and I always kept my word.

Except when we promised each other always and forever.

God I missed him.

God I needed him.

No, I needed to move on.

Why couldn't I move one?

Why was I incapable of even thinking about being with another man? Nevermind actually being with one.

I was only capable of moving my ring to the other hand. That was it.

Love. No. Life. Sucked.

**A.N.**

**Hey, sorry for the long wait. Thanks for reading! Thoughts... Come on I need input. I know I am getting A TON of views on all my chapters, but it would be nice to hear your thought. Maybe even get a fav. or a follow. **

**BTW there will be flashbacks to explain all that past stuff... In time.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	17. Chapter 17: Elijah

_Chapter 17: Elijah_

**Elijah's P.O.V.**

I dropped a hundred dollar bill into the guitar case of some horrid street player, and took some coins out of his case. I clenched them in my fist and started to shift them from one hand to another as I listened in to a conversation.

"Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it. Can we stop the curse from being broken at all?" asked the arrogant fool who dared to stake me.

"What do you mean?" asked Slater.

"Well, if we make the moonstone useless, would it stop the curse from being broken?"

"Well, yeah, probably but why would you want to do that?"

"Tell me how."

"You think I'm gonna help you figure out how to do something that will piss off an original?" Smart lad. "And keeping them from walking in the sun?"

"You want to walk in the sun? I can make that happen if you help us."

I was still listening, but I had decided to end this conversation. So, I gently tossed the coins at the window, causing them all to shatter.

I fled as screams of terror were let out.

* * *

I had gotten myself into this Slater's home and compelled him to make a little phone call for me.

"Hello?"

"Rose?"

"Slater? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I took off, I'm sorry, I was freaking freaked."

"No, I'm sorry to involved you."

"Look, I want no part in any of this but I did some digging."

"Okay, what did you find?"

"You can destroy the curse but you need the moonstone."

"How? What do you mean? I don't follow."

"Can your friend get the moonstone? You need it."

"Yes, he can get it. What next?"

"You need a witch. Get the moonstone, a witch should be able to figure out the rest. Good luck, Rose." Then Slatter hung up.

"Very nicely done," I stated to the boy.

"Thanks, I have a degree in theatre. How can you compel me? A vampire can't compel another vampire." He was trembling.

"I'm a special vampire." I smiled.

"What, because you're an original?"

"Hmm, now I want you take this and drive it through your heart," I said to the fool who knew too much and handed him the stake.

"But that would kill me forever."

"I know. But it's necessary," I compelled.

I smiled slightly as the vampire trembled and gasped as he took his own life.

"Was it, really?" asked my warlock Jonas.

"It had to be done. He delivered his message. Won't be long now."

* * *

"How'd it go?" asked Rufina.

"The usual," I replied as I took a seat across from her in the study.

Why did it have to be like this? We'd been traveling together for a few years now and nothing.

I had thought about it, I had thought about it a lot. But, no matter how hard I tried I could not bring myself to tell her how I felt. Maybe after Niklaus died I would have the guts to tell her, but not now.

It was as if they were still together, even though they weren't and hadn't been for years now. But either way, I felt like I still couldn't touch her. Like he still had a hold on her and I would never be able to break her free from that monster.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Stupid vampire. He should have realized that he knew too much," she said as she closed the book she was reading by the fire.

I was and I still am deeply and forever in love with her.

Was I in too deep?

Could I ever get out?

Maybe if she could move on then I could have me chance.

But let's be honest, I was too deep in the friend zone.

I was in the brother zone.

* * *

On the table laid some of the Gilbert girl's possessions that were stolen from her bedroom

"So how exactly does the spell work?" I asked.

"Give me your hand," replied Jonas.

I instantly gave him my hand and he cut it with his knife. Of course this didn't hurt one bit, I had endured a lot worse.

"Place it here." He gestured to the picture and I put my hand on it. "Now take my hand." So I did. "Close your eyes, relax your mind and look for her." That wasn't hard considering she looked like two woman I wasn't too fond of anymore.

I closed my eyes and the warlock started speaking Latin.

It didn't take me to long to find her. Then, I opened my eyes.

"You saw her, didn't you?"

"I know exactly where she is."

This was all too easy. They had no idea about who were messing with.

Niklaus would soon be dead.

* * *

"There is nothing here for you," I heard the older Salvatore say as I killed a man from behind and he fell to the floor. Then, I blurred to the two other men.

"I killed you. You were dead."

"For centuries now." He was stupid to think it would be that easy to truly kill me. "Who are you?" I asked one of the men in front of me.

"Who are you?" he snapped back.

"I'm Elijah."

"We were gonna bring her to you for Klaus. She's the doppelganger. I don't know how she exists but she does. Klaus would want to see her." He was trembling... What a fool.

"Does anyone else know that you're here?"

"No."

"Well, then you have been incredibly helpful."

Then, in one swoop I ripped both their hearts out. Dropped them to the floor and fled. Wouldn't want anyone to mess this up, now would we?

* * *

I was looking through the window at myself. Just thinking about how I got her in my so called life and my morals and... about her. I knew I would see her soon, but I couldn't help but think about her every move.

I was soon joined by the warlock.

"Where is Luka?"

"Asleep."

"Your shadow spell was successful. I was able to track that girl. However I did have a little run in with one of the brothers that killed me."

"I assume he didn't live to tell about it."

"Actually I spared him." I couldn't kill him. I had promised. "He'd die before he let anything happen to her, they both would." As would Niklaus and I when it came to Red. "She'll be kept safe."

"For now."

"That's precisely what we need her to be. Safe."

* * *

I was invited in to the Gilbert house. The plan was proceeding as planned.

"I got roped into helping Mrs. Lockwood and by roped, I mean very excited to participate," said Elena's Aunt as she closed the door to reveal me which caused the girl to jump.

"Hey, I'm Elijah," I gave a little calm cool and collected smile.

"Elijah is in town doing research on Mystic Falls."

I got closer to the scared little doppelganger. "It's a pleasure." Then, we shook hands.

"So you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff or Elena and I could help you load it into our car."

"Or I can get someone to pick it up tomorrow."

"Also a good plan."

"Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, Jenna and Elena... I hope to see you again sometime soon." I made sure to stare into the girl's eyes as I 'left'.

As predicted she ran towards her brother's room and knocked on the door. But, I caught her wrist.

The boy opened the door and I put my finger to my mouth to tell her the shhh. I

"What is it?" the boy asked.

"Jenna was just asking me to get you to help her with the boxes."

"Okay."

The boy left and I looked at the girl. "It's a wise choice," I said as I put my hands in my pockets.

"What do you want?" Apparently this girl was not playing around anymore.

"I think it's time you and I had a little chat."

We then went into her room.

"Forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm," I said as I poked through her room.

"Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?"

"Because we didn't want you to be taken," said Rufina who appeared out of nowhere. This shocked me. When did she get invited it? Besides she promised she would stay at home. She never listened. "Klaus is the most feared and hated of the originals but those that fear him are desperate for his approval," she stated.

"If word gets out that the doppelganger exists there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you to him and we can't have that."

"Isn't that exactly what you're trying to do?"

"Let's just say that our goal is not to break the curse."

"So what is your goal?"

"Klaus's obsession has made him paranoid. He's a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle."

"Like you?"

"Not anymore."

"What about you?" she asked Red.

She laughed. "Let's just say I prefer to be as far away from that circle as possible." She smiled.

"You don't know where he is, do you? So you're trying to use me to draw him out."

"Well, to do that we need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed," I replied.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"If I wasn't being truthful, all your family would be dead and we'd be taking you to Klaus right now. Instead, were here and were preparing to offer you a deal."

"What kind of a deal?"

"Do nothing," said Red.

"Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting and then, when the time is right, you and I should draw out Klaus together and I should make sure your friends remain unharmed," I told the girl.

"And then what?"

"Then we kill him," said Red. She was ready for her revenge. As was I.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"I'm a man of my word, Elena. I make a deal, I keep a deal."

"I'll vouch for him on that one," said Red.

"How are you gonna be able to keep everybody safe?"

"I notice you have a friend Bonnie, is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts," I said.

"You know witches."

"Together we can protect everybody that matters to you." I took a step closer to her. "So do we have a deal?"

"I need you to do one more thing for me."

"We're negotiating now?"

"I definitely saw this one coming," said Red.

* * *

**Red's P.O.V.**

"Sorry buddy, but you're on your own for this one. I refuse to go see that bitch."

He laughed at me a little before he said, "Understandable. How exactly were you able to get into her house?"

"Oh please. I was invited in months ago." He gave me a confused look. "Oh come on Lij, lighten up. I was taught by the best after all." I gave him a little wink and I could almost swear that if he was human he would have blushed.

"Just don't get yourself daggered anytime soon, please. I really don't want that bitch out anytime soon," I said to him as we parted to go our separate ways.

I have him a quick hug and a soft kiss on the cheek before we parted.

We each had things to do... Niklaus was going to die.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Elijah was stuck at some stupid historical society tea or something. Where of course he was bound to run into the arrogant young fool of a vampire.

"Such a pleasure to meet you," he said as they shook hands.

"Oh, the pleasures mine."

Damon was a fool. He was playing with fire and bound to get burned.

Later, they both found themselves in Richard's office.

"What can I do for you, Damon?"

"I was hoping we could have a word."

"Where's Elena?"

"Safe with Stefan. Where's your little girlfriend?"

"That's none of your business, now is it?" Elijah snapped back.

"Oh, I see. She's not your girlfriend, but you wish she was."

"One more word and I will not hesitate to kill you." Elijah shot Damon a death glare, but Damon just let out a little chuckled. They both knew he wouldn't kill him. "Back to Stefan and Elena."

"They're laying low, you know, bit of a werewolf problem."

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that."

"I'm sure you did since it was your witch that saved the day."

"You are welcome."

"Which adds to my confusion on exactly why you're here."

"Why don't you just stay focused on keeping Elena safe and leave the rest to me?" Elijah grinned and headed towards the door. Damon blurred in front of him.

"Not good enough," said Damon.

Elijah grabbed Damon by the throat and strangled him against the wall. Damon tried to strangle Elijah but he was obviously too strong. Elijah simple broke the fools wrist.

"You young vampires, so arrogant. How dare you come in here and challenge me?"

"You can't kill me, man. It's not part of the deal," Damon had struggled to get out the words as he groaned.

"Silence."

Elijah grabbed the nearest object. He picked up a pencil and swiftly drove it through Damon's jugular. He let out groans of pain as he fell to a table and ripped the pencil out. His hand was covering his wound and covered with blood.

"I'm an original. Show a little respect," said Elijah as he whipped out a white tissue and Damon snatched it to put it on his wound. "The moment you cease to be of use to me, you're dead, so you should do what I say. Keep Elena safe."

With that Elijah left.

* * *

At the Salvatore house Jules and her little pack were torching Damon for information on the moon stone. Damon was chained to a chair. Blood was everywhere and he had a torture collar with wooden nails around his neck.

"Where's the moonstone?" she demanded.

"Get over it, honey. You're never gonna get it," said Damon.

"You looking for this?" asked Elijah as he leaned against the door looking incredibly cool. The moonstone was in his hand as he walked forward. They all turned to him as he put the stone down on the bar. "Go ahead. Take it," he gestured.

One werewolf ran forwards, but Elijah was obviously too quick. He easily ripped out the poor wolfs heart. Two more came and he once again easily ripped their hearts out too. Jules fled and the last wolf tried to hide in his jacket, but Elijah came towards him.

'How stupid,' though Elijah.

"What about you, sweetheart, hmm? You want to take a shot? Yes, no, yes?" The boy shook his head. Apparently he wasn't as stupid as Elijah had thought. "Where's the girl?"

"I don't know," answered Damon who was still chained to the chair.

"It doesn't really matter," said Elijah. Then, he punched the last wolf so hard that it instantly killed him. He walked over toward Damon and ripped the chains off of him. "So you realize this is the third time I've saved your life now?"

He took the moonstone and left.

* * *

**Red's P.O.V.**

"Who know I'm getting rather tired of saving that Damon Salvatore's life," Elijah told me as he plopped down on the coach.

I giggled as I playfully slapped him on the chest. "Oh, please. Without that you would be bored out of your mind."

"I doubt it. Later, I am going to look out some old property with Jenna. Care to join?"

"Nah. I have stuff to do too. Have fun finding the burial ground and stuff."

"Okay. Oh and later I'm going to a little dinner at the Salvatore's."

"Just try not to get yourself killed this time. I would hate to have to come and save you."

"Please, you would love to come and save me."

Yeah, maybe. It would be nice if he owed me one for once... or if we were even.

He got up and was about to walk out the door. "And Elijah?"

"Yes." He turned back to me.

"Try not to fall in love with her," I teased. He just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come one. You know I don't really pursue younger woman," he joked.

I rolled my eyes and he left.

Maybe it would be good if he pursued someone. Anyone at that. He need edsomething or someone in his life after we killed Niklaus.

I had a bad feeling about the dinner party.

* * *

SHIT! He got himself daggered and by Elena of all people. What the hell! Now that bitch was out of the tomb.

He was definitely off his game.

The Salvatore's had Elijah. In time I could easily get him back and I would. The Salvatore's had no idea about who they were messing with.

Soon I would have my family back and the bitch and Niklaus would be dead.

**A.N.**

**Okay, I know this whole chapter was basically basic dialog and stuff. I am sorry, but I was trying to get the next chapter really quickly (AKA more towards the end of season 2) Why? Because the next chapter takes place when Klaus comes into the picture. Sweet, right?! I AM SO EXCITED FOR KLAUS ACTION! DAMN ALL THOSE ORIGINALS ARE SO FINE! (except Finn, he's creepy)**

**So, I promise that the next chapter and all to follow will be EPIC! **

**Also, I am so excited for season 4! Are you?**

**Thanks for reading and PLEASE review! (:**


	18. Chapter 18: It's Just Red

Chapter 18: It's Just Red

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

Opening the closet I pulled out two shirts.

"Oh! Who is this guy, Safari Sam?" _Honesty he has no sense of class or style. _"Ok, bad, or badder?" I held up the shirts for the poor little Katerina.

"The dark colors suit you better," she replied.

"Oh, thank you, honey," I said sarcastically. "Ok, pop quiz. The dagger and white ash are in the Salvatore's possession, correct?"

"The dagger was used to kill Elijah. You'll find him in the basement of the Salvatore house." She really did hate me. Good, I hated her too.

"Ok, that dagger needs to stay exactly where it is. The last thing I need to do is resurrect Elijah. Ohh, that guy is a buzzkill." He was the biggest buzzkill that I knew. Besides, he was in love with my wife, and he is probably still in love with her, ever after her death. But lets be honest, I'm still in love with her even though she's dead. I was never able to move on. I wasn't even capable of trying. All I could do was focus all my energy into break the curse and drink.

"Don't forget you're on the outs with your girlfriend Jenna.

"Right. Elena's aunt. For all the lies about Isobel. What else?"

"That's it."

I got closer to her and gently touched her face. Instantly, she jumped.

"Oh, so jumpy."

"Please, just... kill me. I've told you everything that I know." She was obviously scared, but she had a right to fear me.

"You see, I believe that you believe that, but what would you not know? What could they be keeping from you? Hmm? Anything? Tell me," I compelled.

"They were trying to see if Bonnie could find a way to kill an Original without a dagger."

"Bonnie the best friend? I thought you said she didn't have her powers anymore." I stood up and crossed my arms.

"She doesn't or didn't. I don't know. You kidnapped me, remember? I'm kinda out of the loop."

"Well, we'll have to get to the bottom of that."

"Please, just kill me, Klaus, and be done with it." Ha, death would be to easy... For now.

"And show you kindness? I've searched for you for over 500 years. Your death is going to last at least half that long." She ruined my life, no mercy would ever be shown. Her death, when it came would be slow and painful. I would make sure she felt the pain that I still felt everyday, but ten fold. So, I took out a knife. "I want you to take this knife... And stab yourself."

I held the knife out for her and after a moment she took it. She stabbed herself in her right thigh and let out a painful groan.

"Now take it out." Instantly, her wound healed when she took it out. "Now while I'm gone, I want you to do that over and over and over again and if you get bored, switch legs." _This was going to be fun._

"Where are you going?"

I leaned in closer to her, resting my hands on either side of her chair. "I'm gonna go lay eyes on my precious doppelganger," I whispered and gently kissed her forehead. "Oh, don't look so glum, Katerina. The fun is just beginning. Again. After all, you did take so much more from me than you will ever know."

"What are you talking about?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"Don't worry, I'm only talking about what went down over 500 years ago," I said to her and walked out of the apartment.

The last thing I heard was her stabbing herself in the thigh.

* * *

**Red's P.O.V.**

Crap, he was here. I could sense it. This was not apart of the plan.

I knew it would be no use warning the Salvatore and Elena. Niklaus was sure to make a grand entrance anytime soon, and sure enough he did. Well, not Niklaus Niklaus but the body he was in Niklaus. Of course he had pulled the old switcheroo, one of his favorite tricks from back in the day.

The decade dance was over and he had fallen for Damon's and Bonnie's little trick. I'd given them props, apparently they wasn't as stupid as I thought. Now, I needed to talk to Elena. She was the only one who would ever listen to me at this point. I could help her and she could help me. Now, it was all up to her and if she wanted to try this my way.

I was waiting just outside of the Salvatore boarding house for Elena to come out. I only needed a moment for her to hear me out.

It was late, but suddenly she stepped outside for some fresh air. She walked down the driveway a little and thats where I got her.

I blurred near her.

"Elena," I whispered. "It's me, Elijah's friend. Please don't run. I swear I'm not here to hurt you." I put my hands up to show her that I meant my words. I could tell she was contemplating running, but she didn't run. Smart girl.

"What do you want," she whispered so the Salvatore's couldn't hear us from the end of the driveway.

"Listen, I have still been keeping my end of the-"

"Have not. Bonnie almost died and-"

"But she didn't, now did she? Trust me Elena, when I make a promise I keep it." I looked her dead on in the eye. She had no idea of the promises that I had kept. The promises that more or less lead to the current Klaus situation. "Besides, you're still alive."

"Fine. What do you want?"

"Undagger Elijah," I responded without hesitation.

"Why?"

"Look Elena, not only is he my best friend, but we need him if we are to kill Klaus. Elijah is the only one strong enough to kill him. Elijah is a good man. Take the dagger out of him and I will make sure he follows the terms of our arrangement, and maybe he will fill you in on the truth and give you a history lesson."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then he will have me to deal with. Will you help me?"

She contemplated it for a few moments. I had a feeling that after everything she would say yes.

She nodded.

"Good. Now, listen because I'm only going to explain this once. Go back to the house and as soon as you get the opportunity take the dagger out, but don't tell the Salvatores. They will ruin everything and get themselves killed. When he wakes up give him the dagger as a sign of peace and trust. Then, have him take you someplace where you can talk. I will meet up with you there and then we can go from there. Understand?"

She nodded. "I swear if you go back on your word-"

"Please Elena, save your threats. Their useless and trust me it takes a lot to kill me. By the way, daggering Elijah was a stupid move. If you hadn't done it then the problem at hand would be over by now, however, that is not the case, but I do give you points for style on how you daggered him. Bravo." She had starting walking back to the house, but I called to her. "Oh, and Elena one more thing, you most definitely don't want to cross me."

"I don't even know your name."

"It's Red."

"You got a last name, Red?"

"Nah, it's just Red."

**A.N.**

**Short? Yeah I know, but I wasn't sure if I was going to have time this weekend to type up a little something something. I might have time later to update but I'm not sure. Sorry that I totally don't make you read everything that happened in the episode, but lets be honest if you did have to it would be boring and we all already know what happens.**

**I still find it weird that I have more favs. than followers...**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	19. Chapter 19: It's Too Much Too Know Now

Chapter 19: It's Too Much Too Know Now

**Third Person P.O.V.**

"What happened?" Elijah asked. He had almost suffocated and was now standing at the doorway of the Salvatore Boarding house. But Elena shushed him.

She pointed upstairs, signaling that Stefan and Damon were upstairs and whispered, "Can I trust you?"

"Can I trust you?" he whispered back.

After a deep breath she handed him the dagger and he took it.

* * *

Elena parked her car as Elijah drank a blood bag. Then, Rufina jumped in. So far, just about everything had happened as she had expected.

"I see you made the right choice," she said to Elena as she closed the door. Elena just nodded.

Red had so much to talk about with her best friend, but both knew it was not the time or the place for that. So, when they saw each other they simply gave each other smiles of acknowledgement.

"You look better," Elena said to Elijah.

"Where did you get the dagger?" he asked. His patients were limited today.

"I'll tell you everything. But we have to work together, Elijah. I need your word."

"Your ability to make demands has long passed."

"No demands. I'm offering you my help. And in return, I want yours and Red's."

"And why should I even consider this?"

"The same reason that you haven't killed me. You need my help to kill Klaus. And I need you."

Elena's phone rang and being rude she answered it.

"Where are you? Are you okay?" asked Stefan on the other line.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Where's Elijah?"

"He's right here."

"Where? I'm on my way."

"No, Stefan, Elijah and I need some time alone."

"Listen to me. He can't be trusted he'll use you to get to Klaus, and we know nothing about that gir-"

"Listen Salvatore," chimed in Red as she snatched Elena's phone. "Elijah is a noble man, I'll even vouch for him. He lives by a code of honor. You can trust him. Hell, even I can trust him. He knows that it be incredibly stupid for Elena to betray him again. By removing the dagger, Elena has proven herself. And when it comes down to it I will also vouch for her and her safety."

"Look, I'm not exactly sure who you are, but I still don't trust either of you. Elena can't do this alone."

"It's her decision, she's a big girl. Please respect it. And make sure that your brother doesn't do anything stupid. I'll be in touch," she said as she hung up on him and handed the phone to Elijah. "Do you want the bad news first?" she asked him. He didn't even say anything. "He's here," she said with her 'Oh shit' expression from the back seat.

"Klaus is here?" he asked.

"He's taken over Alaric's body," said Elena.

"Of course he has. One of his favorite tricks."

"Well, what are his other tricks? What is he going to do next? You're the only one who knew him."

"Yes, I do."

There was silence. They both knew him all too well.

"Where too?" asked Red.

* * *

Elijah rang the doorbell of the Lockwood Mansion and Carol opened it.

"Elijah, Elena! What are you doing here? What happened?" the council women asked. She didn't even knowledge Red, which was incredibly rude and she was a little offended.

"I've had a bit of an incident, Carol. I'm hoping you could help," the Original asked.

"Well, I'm on my way to a meeting, so I—"

He cut her off by compelling her, "It won't take but a minute of your time." And of course she replied while smiling like one of those stupid women of her status.

"Of course. Anything you need."

"Thank you," he said as they entered. "Well, first things first. I'm going to need a change of clothing."

"Well, we can try one of my husband's suits. I haven't boxed them up yet."

"Wonderful," he said and she left.

"How did you know she's not on vervain?" asked Elena and Red let out a little laugh.

"'Cause I'm the one who got her off it. Right before you and your friends killed me. Twice. If you'll excuse me. I'll be down in a moment."

He left and Rufina took a seat on the couch in the living room.

"You can sit you know, Elena," Red told her and not knowing what to do Elena sat.

"I still don't understand."

"What's there to understand?" Red huffed as she put her feet up on the coffee table and lounged back.

"You."

This comment made Red feel a little uneasy. So, she moved from her extremely comfy position. She placed both feet on the ground, an arm on either leg, leaned in close to Elena, and whispered seriously, "When I want you to comprehend, I will gladly let you know."

Saved by the bell... Elijah came down just in the nick of time wearing one of Mayor Lockwoods suits. He took a seat next to his best and possibly only friend.

"So I assume that the Martin witches are no longer with us," he said. Who needs them anyways?

"No. I'm sorry," said Elena.

"And Katerina? She would have been released from my compulsion when I died."

"Klaus took her. We think that she may be dead."

"I wish," mumbled Red.

"I doubt that. Not Klaus' style. Death would be too easy for her after what she did." Oh the things she did. Running from Klaus was not very smart, but unknowingly driving a wedge between him and his wife that she still has no idea existed was just plain stupid. Of course, it wasn't Katerina's fault, it was all Klaus'. He ruined everything, he let it all consume him, something he promised he would never let happen. But, when you need someone to take the fall you never choose yourself.

"I don't understand. You say that you want Klaus dead, but you still made Katherine pay for betraying him."

"I have my own reasons for wanting Katerina to pay. There was a time... I'd have done anything for Klaus and as would Red." That was the cold hard truth.

"I still don't understand." stated Elena.

"Let me break it down for you and your little human mind," said Rufina. "Elijah is Klaus' brother."

"Yes. Klaus is my brother."

"I heard that. I'm still processing. And you, what are you to Klaus?" Elena she'd Red.

"I'm simply Elijah's best, no wait, only friend. That's it." Oh, that was so not it. If only Elena knew the truth, but having her know the truth could only lead to problems.

"Yes, I'm a little behind on the times, but I believe the term you're searching for is 'O.M.G.'" said Elijah as he took a sip of his tea.

"So, wait. There's a whole family of Originals?"

"My father was a wealthy landowner in a village in Eastern Europe. Our mother bore seven children," Elijah said as he adjusted himself in the mirror.

"So your parents were human?" She was in shock.

"Our whole family was. Our origin as vampires is a very long story, Elena. Just know... We're the oldest vampires in the world. We are the Original family, and from us all vampires were created."

"Right, but Klaus is your brother. And you want him dead? And you-" she looked at Red. "Are you an Original? How old are you?"

Red shook her head. There was no need for Elena to know the details at this moment in time. "A lady never reveals her age, Elena."

"I need some air. I'm still feeling a tad... dead. Come," said Elijah.

Walking down the huge steps to the backyard Elijah began to talk. "So as you've seen, nothing can kill an Original."

"Not Sun, not fire, not even a werewolf bite. Only the wood from one tree," said Red.

"A tree my family made sure burned."

"That's where the white ash for the dagger comes from," said Elena.

"Corectimoondo," said Red all pepped up.

"The witches won't allow anything truly immortal to walk the earth. Every creature needs to have a weakness in order to maintain the balance."

"So the Sun can't kill an Original. Why is Klaus so obsessed with breaking the Sun and Moon curse?"

"Right. The curse of the Sun and the Moon. It's all so... Biblical-sounding, don't you think?" He smiled and Red burst out into laughter.

"What's so funny?" she asked full of confusion.

* * *

"I don't understand. So Klaus drew the Aztec sketches about the curse?"

"Roman scrolls, African tribal etchings, and any other culture or continent we felt like planting in it," said Elijah.

"But why?"

"Easiest way to discover the existence of a doppelganger or to get your hands on some long, lost moonstone is to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout," said Red.

"So it's not Aztec at all?" Oh, that girl was so out of the loop.

"The curse of the Sun and the Moon... is fake. It doesn't exist," stated Elijah and then he continued on walking.

"What?" She followed the two.

"Klaus and I... we all faked the Sun and Moon curse dating back over a thousand years."

"In fact I came up with the idea if I remember correctly," stated Red.

"But if there's no curse..."

"There's a curse. Just not that one. The real one's much worse. It's a curse placed on Klaus."

"What are you talking about?"

"Klaus has been trying to break it for the last thousand years. And you are his only hope," said Red.

Elena's phone started buzzing like crazy in Elijah's pocket.

"What is this curse?" she asked as the phone continued to buzz.

"Your phone will not stop its incessant buzzing. Answer it, please," he said as he handed her her phone.

"Stefan… what's wrong? No. No, no, no, no. Ok, I'll be right there," she hangs up and looks at Elijah. "Klaus went after Jenna. I have to go to her."

"I'm afraid that wasn't part of today's arrangement."

"She's my family, Elijah. I have to. I'll be back. You have my word."

"That doesn't mean anything to me until you live up to it."

"I vouch for her," said Red.

"Thank you," said Elena as she runs to her car.

"Calm down Lij. We can trust her don't worry," she said as she looked up at him.

He smiled at her and pulled her into him for a deep long hug. A hug that he had been longing for. After what felt like forever he released her. After all, he didn't want to make it too obvious that he was deeply and uncontrollably in love with her.

"Come," he said to her. "We have much to catch up on." He held out his arm for her and she took it with joy.

Maybe after Niklaus was dead he could make his move and finally do something for himself. Maybe he could finally have her, or at least tell her how he felt. Maybe if he was selfish like his brother then he would've ended up with the girl.

* * *

"Welcome back," Elijah said as Elena entered the Lockwood mansion.

"Tell me. What is Klaus' curse?" she asked as she took of her jacket.

"Please," he gestures for Elena to sit and she did. He sat down next to her and Red sat across. "My family was quite close, but Klaus and my father did not get on too well. When we became vampires, we discovered the truth. Klaus was not my father's son. My mother had been unfaithful many years before. This was her darkest secret. Klaus is from a different bloodline. Of course, when my father discovered this, he hunted down and he killed my mother's lover and his entire family. Not realizing, of course, that he was igniting a war between species that rages until this day."

"A war between the species?" she asked all humanly confused. What a teen.

"The vampires... and the werewolves."

"So Klaus' real father was from a werewolf bloodline? What does that make Klaus? A werewolf? Or a vampire?"

"He's both," mumbled Red.

"A hybrid would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. Nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore the witches, the servants of nature, saw to it that my brother's werewolf side would become dormant."

"That's the curse that Klaus wants to break?"

"He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf. If allowed, Klaus would sire his own bloodline. He'd build his own race. Endangering not just vampires, but everyone.

"But you helped him? You both did."

"I helped him because I loved him. That's changed, now he must die."

"And you," she asked Red.

"I helped him because I am loyal to Elijah." Oh, what a lie. She helped him because she loved Klaus. It was a cold hard fact and she couldn't face it, not yet at least. Was she still in love with him? If it came down to it could she kill him if Elijah failed to do so?

"We have the dagger now. We can stop him," said Elena.

"When a werewolf is wounded by silver, it heals. An Original can't be killed by anything but white oak ash on a silver dagger. So you see the conundrum. The dagger does not work," replied Red.

"What, are you saying that Klaus can't be killed?"

"There's one way to kill any supernatural species… at the hands of the servants of nature themselves," said Elijah.

"A witch if they can channel that much power. But it would kill them."

"The curse must be broken during the full moon. When Klaus is in transition. That's when he'll be at his most vulnerable. A witch with enough power... can kill Klaus."

"What if I told you that I knew a witch that could channel that much power?"

"Then I would tell you there's one more thing that you should know."

"He found a way to save the doppelganger, but Klaus has no soul and only wanted to proceed his way and his way only. Stubborn bastard," said Red.

"You found a way to save the life of the doppelganger?"

"Yes, Elena. I did. But unfortunately, Katerina took matters into her own hands first. I believe you already know how that played out."

"You cared about her, didn't you?"

"It's a common mistake, I'm told. And it's one I won't make again." Smart guy.

Elijah gave her her jacket and she left. Leaving The two friends alone.

* * *

Damon punched Stefan so hard that he fell into a bookshelf and broke it. He got up and rushed over to Damon. They grabbed each other by the shoulders, trying to harm one another. Elena, Elijah, and Rufina enter the room.

"Stop!," cried Elena.

They broke apart and Elijah looked at them and they stare right back.

"Now you've invited them in?" remarked Damon.

"Elijah, Red, and I have renewed the terms of our deal."

"Really?"

"The two of you will come to no harm at my hands. I only ask for one thing in return."

"What?"

"An apology."

"A what?" Damon was beyond confused.

Stefan got closer to the two friends. "I'm sorry for the part that I played in your death. I was protecting Elena. I will always protect Elena."

"I understand," Elijah told Stefan.

Elena looked at Damon and said, "The sacrifice is going to happen, Damon. Bonnie will be able to kill Klaus without hurting herself and Elijah knows how to save my life. I told you I'd find another way. And I did."

"Is that true?"

"It is," stated Red.

"If he's asking for an apology what are you asking for?"

"Nothing," she stated.

"I find that very hard to believe. What's in this for you? Shouldn't you want to kill me for some unknown reason."

"Well believe it, Salvatore. Besides, I have my reasons for not wanting you dead and when I want you to know I'll be sure to inform you."

"And you're trusting them?" Damon asked Elena as he stared at the two friends.

"I am."

"You can all go to hell," Damon said and then left.

Stefan looked at Elijah, "He's angry with me right now. But he'll come around."

"Perhaps," said Elijah.

**A.N.**

**OMG I'm so sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I've been so busy and I'm sorry that this chapter sucked. OMFG I'M SO PUMPED FOR SEASON 4 THIS WEEK! Please review its suckyness... Once again I'm sorry! I can't wait to get to the Red/Nik action! That's why I'm trying to basically skim all this extra stuff.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	20. Chapter 20: Stupidity of the Desperate 1

Chapter 20: The Stupidity of the Desperate Part 1

**Third Person P.O.V**

Stefan, Elena, and Red were sitting in the Salvatore Boarding House while Elijah proceed to stay standing.

"Tonight is the full moon. We should assume that Klaus is prepared to break the curse," Elijah stated.

"Elena said that the Sun and the Moon curse is fake? That it's actually just a curse placed on Klaus," said Stefan.

"Klaus is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline. The curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting. But if he breaks it..."

"He'll be a true hybrid," jumped in Red as she spread herself across the couch.

Then, Damon entered. "Then why are we letting him break the curse? We can kill him today. With Bonnie."

"Damon..." Stefan said. But it was no use.

"No," snapped Elena. "Bonnie can't use that much power without dying."

"I'll write her a great eulogy." Oh Damon, always so gracious with words.

"It's not an option, Damon."

"All right, how do we break this curse?" asked the younger brother.

"Well, the ritual itself is relatively straightforward. The ingredients, so to speak, you already know."

"The moonstone."

"A witch will channel the power of the full moon to release the spell that's bound within the stone. After that, Klaus, being both werewolf and vampire, will sacrifice one of each."

"And where do I fit into it?"

"The final part of the ritual," said Elijah as he grabbed a wooden box from a shelf. "Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelganger..."

"To the point of your death," added Red and Damon shot her a glare. Then, he looked at Elena. Stefan took Elena's hand and she looked at Elijah. He then opened the box and took a jar from it.

"And that's where you come in," stated the Doppelganger.

"This is an elixir that I acquired some 500 years ago for Katerina. It possesses mystical properties of resuscitation."

"So I'll be dead?"

"And then you won't," add Red with a little charm in her voice.

"That's your plan? A magical witch potion with no expiration date?" snapped Damon and then looked to Elena. "You want to come back to life, what about John's ring?"

Red couldnt help but to let out a little laugh at his stupidity.

"What's so funny, little girl?"

"Nothing. It's just that those rings only work on humans. The doppelgänger's a supernatural occurrence. Odds are, the ring won't work."

"I'll take those odds over your elixir. What if it doesn't work, Elena?"

"Then I guess I'll just be dead."

Damon looked to Stefan shocked and shrugged. Then, glared at Elijah and the girl and left.

"Do we know if Klaus has everything he needs to do this? Does he have a werewolf?" asked the silly girl.

"Klaus has been waiting to break this curse for over a thousand years. If he doesn't already have a werewolf, my guess is by tonight, he will."

"And a back up," mumbled Red so softly Elijah could only hear her.

* * *

Elijah was in the Library by the fireplace and Elena joined him.

"You'd think he'd understand why I'm willing to do this," she told him.

"Why are you?" he asked.

"I'm the key to breaking the curse. Klaus is here because of me. If I don't stop him, then he's going to hurt people. It's that simple," she said as she fiddled with the elixir. At least she wasn't completely and utterly stupid.

"You know, there's a possibility this elixir won't work. I don't want to mislead you." At least he was honest. Would he have been the better option for Rufina?

"I know the chance I'm taking."

Suddenly, they were interrupted by Jenna yelling at Alaric and holding a cross bow straight at him.

"Jenna, put the cross-bow down, ok? It's me," they heard.

"Stay away from me," she said as Elena, Stefan, Damon, and Elijah join them.

"What's going on?" asked Elena.

"It's me, Elena, I swear, ok? He let me go. Klaus let me go," said Alaric as he threw up his hands in defense.

"Prove it," spat Damon.

Panicking, Alaric looked at Jenna. "Ok, uh, first night you and I spent together, Jeremy walked in right when I was about to..."

"Okay, it's him," Jenna cut him off and put down the bow.

"Why did he let you go?" questioned Stefan.

"He wanted me to deliver a message. The sacrifice happens tonight."

"What a bloody asshole," shot Red as she entered the room. They all turned to face her and give her strange looks. "What?" she exclaimed. "It's true."

* * *

Damon rushed to the library to pour himself a drink, or two, or three and Red was still there. Only this time she had hit up his liquor cabinet and she had her feet up on the table.

"Well, it sounds like you won't be needing that elixir anymore. Feeding her vampire blood rendered it useless. Tell Elena we'll be back before nightfall and will proceed as planned."

She got up after downing her drink and started to walk out, but Damon responded, and caused her to stop. "We both know that elixir wouldn't have worked anyway."

At that she turned on her heels and stalked over to him. "The problem, Damon, you talk a good game but you don't actually know anything. She'll never forgive you. And never for a vampire..." She got closer to him and whispered in his ear, "It's a very long time." Then, she pulled back, looking him in the eyes. "Try not to fuck anything else up, Salvatore. I can't have you making this more complex than it already is."

"Then kill me," he spat.

"Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. But, there are things you don't understand, Damon. Things that not even Elijah knows."

"Oh, so you're not in love with the big bad Elijah anymore. Now, you have the hots for me," he said smugly and did that weird thing with his eye brows.

"If only you knew how off you really are," she said with a smirk.

Then, she left. She left him feeling almost every emotion possible that you wouldn't want to experience: remorse, anger, fear, jealousy, rage, sorrow, hopelessness, grief. It was all there. There was no escape and it caused one to do most regrettable things.

* * *

Damon arrived at the bar, asked for his usual drink, and his only friend joined him and ordered the same drink.

"I screwed up," said Damon as he felt everyone of those stupid emotions.

"Yeah. Yeah, you did," said Alric. Oh, Damon screwed up big time. There was no question about it.

"Gentlemen?" called a voice from behind, causing Damon to do his eyebrow thing. "Why so glum?"

Both friends turned around to see none other than the bastard himself.

"Ugh. Klaus, I presume," Damon said, looking down at the table.

"In the flesh. Thanks for the loaner, mate," he said to Alaric.

Damon got up to face Klaus and said, "Any reason you stopped by to say hi?"

"I'm told you and your brother fancy my doppelganger. Just thought I'd remind you to not do anything you'll regret."

It was strange. The Salvatore smelt familiar to the Original. Damon had a hint of a beautiful morning smell to him.

"Ha," smiled Damon. "Thanks for the advice. I don't suppose I could talk you into a postponement, by any chance, huh?" Was he legit? Did he really think he could talk a 1000 year old vampire into anything?

"You are kidding?" Niklaus looked at Alaric. "He is kidding, right?"

"No, not really."

"I mean, come on, what's one month in the whole grand scheme of things?"

"Let me be clear." He looked at Damon dead on. He was not messing around. "I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. The ritual will happen tonight. So if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up." With that he left and headed back to the apartment. But, first he had to make a little stop.

As he got into his car he couldn't help but wonder about that smell. It was so familiar. So sweet. So her. The Salvatore had the faintest hint of her scent on him. 'Impossible,' thought Niklaus. 'She has been dead for over one hundred years. It doesn't make any sense.'

And it didn't to him. How could he smell like her, smell exactly like her, but she was long gone. When she died Niklaus abandon almost everything and everyone in his life. Without her he was nothing and had no one. He was barely able to even look at any other women. It hurt him too much.

Since his weakness was destroyed he never had anything to loss. He was reckless and acted on impulse.

Back at the apartment Katherina was making coffee when Klaus arrived.

"Everything ok?" she asked him. He looked as if he was indistrase. Was it because of the memories of her, or because of the asshole of a Salvatore?

"What have you been doing?"

"Making coffee. Do you want some?"

He sped over to her. Picking her up my the neck, he compelled her, "Tell me what you've been doing."

"Making coffee." She had struggled to get the words out.

She tried to walk away after he released her but he stopped her. "Wait. Take off your bracelet." She did so and gave it to him. Getting closer to her he said, "Now, I want you... to walk over to the window and stand in the sunlight."

"But I'll burn."

"You don't have a choice."

She walked into the sunlight as he sipped the coffee. Standing there she screamed and screamed. Her skin burned, her screams continued, and Klaus continued to watch with a smile plastered onto his face. He was taking a little too much joy in inflicting some long overdue pain. And for a brief moment, inflicting the pain made him forget about her. But, only for a moment.

Finally, he said, "That's enough," and she rushed to the shadows. "Guess I was wrong. All right, then. I need you to do something for me."

But was he really wrong? The man had been around for over 1000 years.

Only thing left to do was pick up the doppelganger of the slut.

* * *

After he picked up Elena and dropped her off with Greta he headed back the apartment.

"Where's Maddox? He should be back by now," Klaus said with frustration.

"I don't know," replied Katerina as he opened his laptop to check on his master plan. "What are you doing? Where's Elena?"

"I sent her off with Greta," he mumbled.

He looked at Jules from the screen and said, "It's almost time."

Then, suddenly, the door flew open. Klaus rolled his eyes and said, "I wasn't aware you'd been invited in," to Damon.

"I've come here to tell you that you have to postpone the ritual."

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Damon had put Klaus on his last nerve.

"Yeah, but that was before I rescued your werewolf and vampire and killed your witch."

At that Klaus shot up, walked over to Damon, and said, "Excuse me?" Now was so not the time to infuriate Klaus. But, now he didn't smell like her. Maybe earlier it was just his imagination.

"And you can kill me for it. I don't care. It was all me," said Damon.

"Katerina, give us a moment." Looking at them she lowered her head and left. "I've heard about you. The crazy, impulsive vampire in love with his brother's girl." Damon gave a slight nod confirming the truth. They were face to face, to close for comfort. He walked to his laptop. "I knew one of you would try to stop me. It was a just a 50/50 guess on who." He hit the play button, revealing to the fool that he always has a back up plan. "The nice thing about werewolves is they tend to travel in packs. Need a closer look?" he asked tossing Damon the cell phone.

"Jules," stated Damon as he looked at the screen.

"When you spend a thousand years trying to break a curse... You learn a thing or two. First rule... always have a back-up. Back-up werewolf. Back-up witch," he said as he encircled Damon.

"Back-up vampire."

"I've got that covered, too," he said as he knocked Damon out.

No more nice Klaus.

* * *

Damon got up from the apartment floor saying, "Should have used me. Why didn't he use me?"

"He couldn't. Damon, he said you were as good as dead," said Katerina.

"What does that even mean?"

"What does that mean? What is this, Damon?" She grabbed his arm.

"It's a werewolf bite."

**A.N.**

I'm so sorry I haven't updated recently! But I'm back now, because crew is over. I was going to combine this episode with next, but I figured it was better to get this out ASAP. Next chapter will be part 2 then and will probable be posted sometime this weekend. Also, next chapter is going to be epic! *************Spoiler!- He will see her!

**Thanks for reading and please review!(:**


	21. Chapter 21: Stupidity of the Desperate 2

_Chapter 21: The Stupidity of the Desperate Part 2_

**Red's Person P.O.V.**

He made me sick. Once I knew he was in Mystic Falls I had to see him. So, I watched from afar. There was no chance in Hell that I would let him see me, and if he dared tried to touch me... There was something so alluring about him. But, I hated him. Right? I had to avoid him at all costs, but yet I had to take a peak. Was that so wrong?

His witch was a fucking slut. I swore if she looked at him one more time I probably would have killed her on the spot, and risked exposing myself. For some reason at that point I didn't care. I didn't care if I risked exposure. But, why was I feeling this way? I hated him. He ruined everything, he always did. For Heaven's sake I was plotting his death. But, I guess feelings never do go away. I only hoped that I would be able to remain hidden. I hoped that Elijah could complete the task at hand so I would not have to intervene.

Elijah, Stefan, Alaric, and I got out of the car and headed to the house. Tonight was the sacrifice. I prayed Damon hadn't done something stupid again.

"The sacrifice is completed in stages as the full moon sets, First the werewolf is killed, then the vampire. Finally the doppelganger. Once Elena dies, the curse will be broken. Klaus will become hybrid," said Elijah as he shut the door. This was all stuff I had heard a thousand and one times. I had no choice but to roll my eyes.

"So when do we attack?" asked the teacher. They all seemed so clueless. They obviously hadn't done their homework, and truth be told this was all basic knowledge.

Elijah stopped walking and turned to answer him. "Elena's death will activate his dormant werewolf side. He'll be vulnerable during the transformation. That's when Bonnie comes in."

"And you're sure Bonnie will survive this?" asked Stefan. Honestly, I could care less if she died or not. I never said I was a saint.

"If she can deliver him to the brink of death, I'll finish the job myself. And if I somehow fail to do so Red will gladly inflict the final blow." I prayed to God that it didn't come to that. I was lacking courage, there was no way I could still be blinded by what people claim to be love. I didn't want to object, so I just nodded my head.

Thank goodness Stefan's phone rang just in time. I was saved by the bell.

He walked away to answer. "Damon," he said. "Cut to the chase. Is the sacrifice happening or not?... We're sticking with the original plan. We're meeting Bonnie right now... What?" He looked to Alaric with a concerned look on his face. Odds were that Damon did something stupid. Again.

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Alaric.

"Oh, my god." That was all Stefan could say and it summed it all up.

Niklaus was and forever will be the biggest asshole on the planet.

After Stefan told us the news and Alaric got passed his slump, he went to talk to Jeremy. The rest of us waited outside to tell Bonnie. She was obviously not my favorite witch.

"Why did he take Jenna?" asked the goody two shoes.

"A punishment for meddling," I remarked. Klaus was always one for punishing. What a dick. I mean, I like to inflict pain on people as much as the next vampire, but that doesn't mean you always go for the humans.

"Klaus was going to use Tyler and Caroline but Damon rescued them," said Stefan. Why did Damon have to be so stupid sometimes. You would think after that little chat I had with him way back in the day would have helped. Apparently not.

"Then we need to go. Now. Before Jenna's been sacrificed. I can kill Klaus myself." What a stupid move. "You can't just take on Klaus!" I snapped at her. Especially when you know you will die from it.

"Bonnie... If you use that much power, you'll be dead. We've already been through this. It's not an option."

"Neither is letting Jenna die." I guess it's all the same.

"Well, Stefan would agree with you," said Elijah.

"We're going to offer another vampire. One that he'll want more. Me," said Stefan.

Why were Salvatore's so stupid? It didn't make any sense.

Stefan was outside the house making his whatever life decisions. Elijah and I joined him.

"Bonnie did the locator spell. They're at Steven's quarry," Elijah told him.

"I'll head over there first and you'll follow with Bonnie when it's time," Stefan replied.

"Just as the moon hits its final phase. She's to stay hidden until then. He cannot know that she's alive." Elijah was in his serious mode. But, then again, wasn't he always? Stefan began to walk away, but Elijah stopped him with his words and looked at him. "You're very honorable." It was true.

"Are you? Because this whole plan is, um, it's contingent upon your honor, Elijah," questioned Stefan as he got closer and looked at Elijah.

"I won't fail you."

"Klaus is your brother. I know I've wanted to kill my brother a thousand times. I've never been able to." Maybe I felt the same way towards Niklaus as Stefan did towards Damon. I wanted to hurt him, to kill him, to make him suffer for everything. But, could I succeed?

"Well, Klaus was not my only brother. I had siblings; Parents. I had a family. Over the centuries, Klaus hunted them down one by one and he took them from me. He scattered them across the seas where their bodies could not be found." What a bastard. I really did miss them all. Except his parents and Fin.

"You want revenge."

Elijah paused before he answered, choosing his words very carefully. "Sometimes there's honor in revenge, Stefan. I won't fail you. We won't fail you."

"Please end this."

Stefan walked away and I followed him. Elijah gave me a strange look as I walked away, but oh well.

"Stefan, wait." I called to him. He stopped and turned to face me. We were alone and he just looked at me completely clueless. Before he could get out a word I said, "Don't be stupid. Please Stefan, just don't be stupid."

"What? Why would you even care? Besides you can't stop me."

He dare question and undermine me? With that I slammed him against the nearest tree. I had him pinned. He tried to move, but I was tougher than I looked. Then, I whispered in his ear, "It's just not in my best interest for you to die, Salvatore. So, when I want you to know then you will know." I released him and he looked confused about what I said and was in shock about my strength. Oh well. "Look, he won't take you anyways. You deserve to know that much."

"Why? Why won't he take me?"

"I just know. I know his style, he enjoys others suffering." Of course there was more to the story...

I gave him my most sorrowful look and he vanished.

Salvatores enjoy fucking everything up.

**Niklaus' P.O.V.**

What a night so far.

I strolled over the the rings of fire to interact with my lovely remaining guests.

"Hello, Jenna," I greeted and they both rose.

"Let her go. I understand that I have to die, but she doesn't!" answered the doppelganger. She got closer to the fire as it rose high and mighty.

"Careful," I replied in my so called 'concerned voice'. I needed her to die, just not at that moment. Her time would come soon enough.

"Elena, don't," snapped the new vampire.

"No, Jenna! We can't leave Jeremy without a family." She turned to me and pleaded. "I followed your rules; I did everything that you asked. I didn't run. Please." Ha. As if pleading ever worked on me. Besides, when was I ever one to go by the rules.

There was only ever one women who could make me follow the rules, who never needed to plead.

"Well, well," I said as I turned my head to the top of the cliff. "I don't recall you being on the guest list."

"I'm here to talk," replied my old friend.

"Very well, then." Blurring up to the top of the cliff I asked, "What can I do for you, Mr. Salvatore?"

"You don't need to kill Jenna. I'll take her place." This was definitely not the Stefan I remembered. He'd come around eventually. I definitely wasn't planning on him to die tonight.

"Oh, I don't know. I rather appreciate the symmetry of three women- Three goddesses- Sacrificed at nature's altar." I circled around him. I couldn't resist adding the effect. I always loved a good show.

"Don't play games with me. You'll get what you want either way."

"You're quite the hero, aren't you? I've heard that about you." All too well.

"Just make the trade. Me for Jenna."

"Quite the predicament." I said as I strolled down the hill with Stefan. "You know, it's funny, all this talk about preserving family, and here's Stefan, granting your wish." I gestured to him.

"Stefan…" whispered the dopple ganger.

"It's okay," he told her. How sickening they made me. The feelings they felt for one another did not exist in reality.

"Well. Who's it going to be, Elena?" I pointed to her sacrificial options with my stake.

"No," she stated. How stupid.

"Oh, don't worry. There's actually no choice." I blurred to my old friend and swiftly

staked him in the back. He slow fell to the ground as he groaned and Elena screamed.

"No! Stefan! No!" she screamed. The girl was giving me a bloody headache. I was looking forward to killing her.

"I have other plans for your boyfriend. I want him alive. But for now..." I punched Stefan and he flipped over before he fell to the floor. My lovely guests gasped. 'How predictable,' I thought to myself. "Whenever you're ready, Greta."

Greta did her witchy thing and the circle of fire around the vampire disappeared. I looked at Jenna and said, "Your turn."

"No, Jenna, no!" What a stupid girl. Too much good in her for my taste.

Jenna looked at Elena as Elena started to sob and said, "It's alright, Elena. I know what I have to do." As if she could stop me. Ha!

She rushed over to Greta and bit her in the neck. I'd at least give her props for trying. I simply stopped her by stabbing her. I picked her off of Greta and dropped her on the altar. The dopple ganger cried and her aunt looked at her.

"Jenna, no! Just turn it off. Jenna. Turn it off. You won't be scared anymore," she told her.

I grabbed the vampires shoulder, flipped her over, then got real close. I looked her dead on, so I could see the light go out in her eyes as I achieved greatness. Then, I staked her. She gasped for one finally breath as her niece called to her in a panic. But, lets get real. She should have saved her breath, her aunts fate had already been sealed.

Greta went on doing her witchy stuff and I continue to admire it's glory. However, there is one thing I couldn't get out of my head. Why Stefan also smelt like her. I was probably just hallucinating. I had to get her out of my head. I had to move on. I had to break the curse.

I walked over to the dopple ganger and told her, "It's time."

The circle of fire disappeared and I held out my hand for her. I was of course a gentleman after all. She got up and completely ignored my gesture. How rude. She headed to the altar and I joined her.

I grabbed her face, making her look at me dead on, and said, "Thank you, Elena." I had to at least me grateful I supposed. I was moments away from gaining the only thing left in my life.

"Go to hell," she spat. Oh I would, all in due time. But wait, I was Hell and still am.

I smirked every so slightly at her comment before sinking my teeth into her neck. Her blood was so sweet, so desirable. Not as good as, as hers but still pretty good. Stefan was left powerless as I dranked his girlfriend to death. The power I could feel it. I gripped her tighter and drank as fast as I could. My time had almost come.

I dropped her, letting her fall to the ground. She was dead. Her blood trickled down my face as I took it all in. The change I could feel it with every breath I took. I slowly stepped off of the altar.

"I can feel it. It's happening. Yes, yes!" I exclaimed.

The transformation began. Bones snapped and power surged. But suddenly, I was thrown to the ground. The stupid witch that I had taken out previously used her powers on me. I was in pain on the ground when I said, "You were dead!"

She continued to use her powers on me, causing me to suffer more and more. I started to scream and twitch on the ground.

I remained hurt with my head rested on rock when she stopped. But, she only stopped when Elijah arrived. What was he doing here?

"Elijah?" I asked.

"Hello, brother," he said to me. At first I felt calm being with family, but then he plunged his arm into my chest. For a brief moment in what I thought would be my final moments I looked to the top of the cliff. To my surprise I saw her. I made eye contact with her. At least I hoped it was her. It was for the faintest moment, but I saw her. I wasn't sure if it was her, but I had to find out. I had to be with her again. I couldn't die, not yet. Not until I made her mine again and confronted her about her 'death'. If I risked it all and it wasn't her there would be Hell to pay.

"In the name of our family, Nicklaus..." he said and I redirected my attention to my brother as he still had his hand in my chest around my heart.

"l didn't bury them at sea!" I quickly spat with the little ounce of breath I had.

"What?" I had definitely gotten his attention.

"Their bodies are safe. If you kill me, you'll never find them." It was funny, he smelt like her too. It had to be her, she had to be real, she had to be alive.

Elijah went into his 'thought mode'.

"Elijah! Don't listen to him," said Stefan.

"I can take you to them. I give you my word... Brother," I said as the smallest tear fell ever so slightly down my face.

"Do it and I'll take you both out," said the witch.

"You'll die," Elijah told her.

"I don't care," she growled.

He looked at all of them and thought for a moment before he said, "I'm sorry."

Before they could do anything he grabbed me and we took off over the flames. It was time to embrace my true self.

The plan: embrace my true self, kill my so called honorable brother/reunite him with out family, and find her.

I had to see her, to confront her, to make her mine once more. I had vowed if I ever somehow saw her again that I would never let her go. I couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice. I was completely and utterly forever in love with her.

**A.N.**

**Thought? Comments, complaints, concerns?**

**Personally I'm excited for the next chapter hen Stefan tries to get the cure. But is there anyone else who would seeking the cure? Will Klaus find her? Is he capable of making her his again? Will he fuck it up, be mad at her for not actually being dead?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**

**Maybe then you can find out. (;**


	22. Chapter 22: Deals

Chapter 22: Deals

**Third Person P.O.V.**

It had been about two days since that fatal night. Now, the stakes had risen and everybody had something to lose.

The sun was shining down on the forest floor when Klaus finally woke up. He was naked and took his next moment to take in all that had happened. Everything from his transformation to his new found discovery. The discovery that she was alive.

In amazement, Klaus smiled up at the sun. When he shifted his body ever so slightly Elijah, who was leaning against a tree, threw him some clothes, and said, "You've been busy."

Klaus sat slightly up, mouth open, still full of amazement. "That was amazing." He paused. He was in such shock that the words just didn't flow as easily. "How long has it been?" he asked as he stood up and pulled on his pants. Dirt engulfed his visage, but he could pull off that look quite nicely.

"Almost 2 days. Full moon came and went. You remained a wolf."

As Klaus buckled his pants he said, "I can change at will, then. It's good to know." And then he gave a little happy shoulder shake while he refused to shake his smile off. He was to caught in the moment. "I remember every single kill," he said with pride.

"Yes, I've been cleaning up your little mess along the way." Not only Elijah, but also Red. Elijah begged her to let him take care of it on his own, but she was too stubborn. She always had been. The plan was for her to leave as soon as Klaus changed back. Elijah would them get his family back and they would meet up shortly after. Red really did want to see Kol, especially after everything that had happened right before she got daggered. Poor guy, he never did get a break.

"Just like old times, brother." It was too much like old times for Elijah's comfort. He simply wanted to get his family and get out. To bad Niklaus always made these things more complex than necessary.

"You've had your fun. I believe we have a bargain," Elijah said as he handed his brother his boots.

"That's right. Now, what was it again? Oh, yeah. Wait. I remember. That's it. You wish to be reunited with our family," he said as he put on his shoes and Elijah dusted off the jacket.

"You gave me your word, Nicklaus."

"What kind of brother would break his bond? Even though you did try to kill me," he said as he put on his black long sleeve shirt and gave his brother one of his many looks.

"I could have. But I didn't," replied Elijah as he helped his brother with his jacket. He was not messing around. All he wanted was his family back, was that too much to ask? If only his brother wasn't such an ass.

"And now no one can, not even you. Relax, Elijah. All is forgiven."

"Where are they?"

"You need to lighten up. I'll bring you to them soon enough," he said to his brother with a devious smile that only he could conjure up. "But first-"

"No firsts brother. We had a deal."

"Yes, Yes, I see that. However, I can assure you this is of even more importance and even relates to this lovely topic." Elijah just stared at him with a confused look. He had a feeling of what his brother was talking about and he knew he was in deep shit now. "You see it's quite funny." He began to circle around Elijah very slowly. "The other day I smelt her. More than once actually and both times being on the Salvatore brothers."

"Niklaus," Elijah shook his head slowly as he looked towards the ground in sorrow. "She's dead. You and I both know that."

"That's what I thought at first. Maybe I'm a little delusional or I had a little too much to drink. But then, as you had your hand plunged into my chest, I looked up to the cliff side. And there she was."

"Niklaus, you're making things up. She's died."

"Oh that did occur to me, but I figured I could risk it. Besides, you have her scent all over you." He shot Elijah a glare. "Do you deny it, brother?"

"You won't believe me either way."

"Take me to her," Klaus demanded.

"She doesn't want you and you know it. She's had over five hundred to go to you and she hasn't. In fact, she fooled you into thinking she was dead and if I do recall correctly she was plotting your demise last time I checked."

"Take it back!" grumpled Klaus very slowly as his temper boiled to the point of no return. "Never," spat Elijah.

"Take me straight to her and I will give you our family right away."

"You know she's worth more to me than the others. I would never sell her out. Besides, last time I checked she came to me. That's right Niklaus, we've been spending some time together lately."

Jealousy raged inside Klaus as he struggled to keep his emotions in check as the two stormed off to the apartment.

They opened the apartment door to find Katherine and Stefan.

"Klaus, you're back. Look who decided to come for a visit," said Katherine.

He gave Stefan a smile as he said, "You just keep popping up, don't you?"

"I need your help... For my brother," replied Stefan as he took a few steps closer to the evilest thing to ever roam this Earth.

"Well, whatever it is, it's gonna have to wait a tick. You see, I have an obligation to my brother-" he gestured to Elijah, "that requires my immediate attention," said Klaus. Then, he walked pasted Stefan and Katherine.

Elijah looked to Stefan and blurted out, "You understand how important family is, or you wouldn't be here. My brother gave me his word that he would reunite me with my own."

"And so I shall," said Klaus from behind Elijah. This caused Elijah to turn around right into his dagger. The dagger plunged right through Elijah's heart as Elijah screamed. He tried to pull it out, but Klaus was stronger. Then, he went for the side of Klaus' face as he turned gray. He died right there, hearing six final words from his brother, "You should've brought her to me," whispered Klaus so low that he was sure only Elijah had heard it.

He dropped his brother to the ground and let out a slight sign.

Then he grabbed Stefan and pushed him up against the nearest wall. "Now, what am I gonna do with you?"

Next thing anyone knew Klaus had shoved a stake right through Stefan.

"Do you feel that?" whispered Klaus as he held Stefan up. "It's scraping against your heart. The slightest little movement and you're dead."

"He's just trying to help his brother," added Katherine. Apparently, she did have some sense of right and wrong. It wasn't much but it was there, her humanity.

"The witches said you had a cure. Make me a deal. Just give me the cure, and I'll do whatever you want," breathed Stefan as he looked Klaus dead on to show his sincerity.

Klaus ripped the stake out of his old friend, causing him to fall to the floor. Then, he walked over to the counter and began to pour a glass of blood.

"Trouble is I don't know if you'd be any good to me the way you are now. You are just shy of useless," Klaus said as he took a swig of his drink.

Things had been going his way quite often recently. First, with the curse. Then, with the news of his wife, and then with his old friend. Maybe he'd have a little company on his little journey coming up.

Stefan was still on the floor when Klaus bent down to his level with his glass of blood still in his hand.

"I heard about this one vampire, crazy bloke, always on and off the wagon for decades. When he was off, he was magnificent," said Klaus softly. Then, he stood up and continued, "1917, he went into Monterrey and wiped out an entire migrant village... A true ripper. Sound familiar?" he asked and with his usual grin took another swig of his drink.

"I haven't been that way in a very long time."

"Well, that's the vampire I can make a deal with. That is the kind of talent that I can use when I leave this town." Stefan was then face to face with Klaus once he stood up. "Katerina, come here."

He held out his hand for her and she took it. Instantly, he moved her arm up to his face as it changed and he bit her.

"Aah! Aah! No. No... No. No. No," she screamed knowing how fatal the bit was. Sadly, moments later he bit his wrist and forced her to drink his blood. She tried to put up a fight but that was just plain stupid.

Instantly, her wound healed revealing to Stefan the cure.

"You want your cure? There it is."

"Your blood is the cure."

"Gotta love Mother Nature," he said as he then took Stefan my the shoulder. "Now... Let's talk, you and I." Then, he lead Stefan to the kitchen.

Using a knife Klaus dripped some of his blood into a vial. Stefan continued to look at him, while Katherine stared from a far.

"There it is," said Klaus as he stared at the vial. "You want to save your brother? How 'bout a decade-long bender? And I have big plans for you when we leave this town."

"I'm not like that anymore."

"Well, that's too bad. You would have made a hell of a wingman," he said right before he began to pour some of his blood down the drank. He always thought it best to make them crave it a little more, make them desperate, see how far he could test them and push their boundaries.

"Wait." Klaus had him wrapped around his sexy British finger.

"Now that's more like it. I want you to join me for a drink," he said and then slid Stefan a blood bag across the counter.

Slowly but surely Stefan opened the bag and took a sip.

"Finish it. All of it. You do everything I say, and I save your brother. That's the deal." Serious Klaus was in the building.

Stefan chugged it causing Klaus to smile slightly with satisfaction. Then, he passed Stefan another.

"Again," he said with his lips curled upward and Stefan drank.

Exactly how far could Klaus push him before he hit the edge and crumpled into the palm of his hand?

Blood bag after blood bag laid on the floor around Stefan. With blood dripping down his face he looked up at Klaus who was standing before him.

"You're very cooperative. It's almost as if you're enjoying it." He took a few steps which landed him right in front of Stefan. Then, he dropped another bag to Stefan as he remained shaking.

"No more. Not until you give me the cure."

"Not until we make a deal. It's your choice, Stefan." He bend down to Stefan's view. "You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life." He picked up the bag he had dropped and held it out for Stefan. Quickly, Stefan snatched it up with a monstrous growl. "That's the spirit."

Then, he walked over to Katherine with the vial of blood.

"Sweetheart..." he compelled. "Take this over to Damon and come right back."

"You want me to leave?" she asked.

"No!" shouted Stefan.

"Yes and if I were you-" she cut him off my speeding off with the vial and he gave a little smirk. "I'd hurry," he finished the sentence and then launched back into a chair with a brilliant smirk firmly planted on his face.

"She'll never take it to him. She'll never take it to him," stated Stefan and he just gave him an 'oh well' look.

He had known all too well what Katherine had been playing at.

"First things first Stefan. I need you to bring my brother to the warehouse and put him in his coffin. I will meet you there in one hour and then you will receive further instructions. I have some business to attend to before we leave."

Stefan didn't even say anything. He simply got up, pick up Elijah, and left the apartment.

About a half an hour or so later Klaus' plan had started to fall into place once more. He had predicted that she would eventually show her face to him in order to get Elijah back and such enough she did.

She burst through the door, nearly knocking the door off of its hinges. She stood before him with all her beauty. She was more enchanting than he ever remembered. Emotions began to flood back to both of them, only she fought stronger against them. She was on a mission.

Before words could be spoken, she had him pinned against a wall and was gripping his shirt. "You son of a bitch," she spat at him. "You should have died!"

Next thing she knew, he had her pinned to the wall. The only difference was the way he pinned her was more sexual. He leaned his whole body into hers. He knew exactly how to get to her. Then, he whispered in her ear, "Nice to see you to, love. I wasn't aware you'd been invited in."

Then, with a smirk he released her.

"Come now, Rufina. We can at least try to act civil towards each other," he said as he took a seat and gestured for her to join him. After hesitating she joined him, but said nothing just yet. "Since when were you ever this quiet?... Still nothing? Okay then. I'll start us off. You know I thought you were dead. We can surely go into details later, but for now we can just stick with a lovely see, I started to pick up on your scent while in town. At first thought I was hallucinating, but then I saw you and Elijah confirmed your existence."

"That's a lie," she spoke. "Elijah would never sell me out to the likes of you and you know it."

"Fine, fine. Think what you may, love."

"Cut the crap Niklaus and don't call me that. I'm here for a favor." He looked at her with confusion. He wouldn't really classify getting his family back as a favor. So, he continued to listen. "I want the cure."

"And why exactly would you need that for or more specifically whom, love?"

"Damon Salvatore," she mumbled.

"Let me think about it... Hmmm, no."

"I had a feeling you were going to be difficult," she grumbled.

She wasn't really sure how she was suppose to feel about him. Did she still have feelings for him? Possible, but those kinds of things never simply go away.

Klaus on the other hand knew exactly how he felt. No matter what had happened it didn't matter, he had remained forever in love with her. He had fallen way past head over heels for her. Without her he felt as if he was drowning. He had needed air for the past five hundred year and only she could bring him to the surface.

"Now, why exactly do you even wish to save the poor fool? Surely there must be a reason." He thought that somehow she was in love with Damon and had forever moved on from him. Was it true? Not exactly.

"He's import to me. I care for him."

"Like you not so long ago cared for me?" he asked.

"It's none of your business," she spat.

"Okay, fine." He thought for a moment. "Okay, how about a little deal for the cure? I make sure the little rat receives the cure and in return you serve me for... well we'll round it down to 525 years. We have to make up for lost time afterall."

"You're sick. Two years," she negotiated.

"400 years," he countered.

"15 years."

"250."

"45."

"One century, finally offer," he told her.

"Fine, but you have to promise not to kill him and I want Elijah back."

"Fine, I give you my word that I will leave Damon alive, he will receive the cure, and only after you complete your service can you have Elijah back."

"Thank you," she struggled to get those words out because they hurt so badly. She wanted Kol back as well, but that would require too much service to the ass hole. She would just steal him after she got Elijah back.

"Come now. We have business to attend to." He opened the door for her like a gentlemen.

She stood dead in her tracks. "The cure," she demanded.

"Oh, that old thing. Don't worry I have already sent it to him."

"What! You bastard! You tricked me!"

"Yes, yes I did. Now, lets go."

She didn't even say a word, she just stormed out the door in an angry huff.

At the warehouse Elijah was in his coffin and Klaus was looking at him. "I suppose, brother, you've been reunited with our family." He closed the coffin and told the two men, "Put him with the others. We're leaving town tonight." Then he walked over towards Stefan and Red.

"So... Did Katerina make it in time?" he asked Stefan.

"You won't be seeing her again, you know," Stefan replied.

"Because she's on vervain? I've been around a long time, Stefan. I rarely get played for a fool. Besides, she won't get far. You two will help me see to that." Bitch needed to die for everything she had done, all the problems she had caused.

"What is it you really want from me? And why is Red here?"

"I was trying to save you idiotic brother," snapped Red. "But, of course you took matters into your own hands, Stefan. And as usually Klaus played the desperate."

"All will be explained in time. Once we leave this tragic little town," said Klaus.

"Then are we done here? Can we go?"

"Not quite. You see, I have a gift for you."

"Come here, sweetheart. Don't be afraid." He gestures to a girl and she comes forward. "See, I wanna make sure you honor our deal... That you'll be of use to me." He pushed back the girls hair and sank his teeth into her neck taking a nice little drink. "I could have compelled her to behave, but a real ripper enjoys the hunt," he said as the blood dripped down his face and he held the girl upright.

Then, he released her and she went off screaming. Immediately, Stefan went off after her.

"Why do you have to me such an ass?" Red said to her former lover. As stupid as it was, it bugged her to see Klaus touch another girl. But that was stupid. Right? She hated him. Right?

Klaus let out a little smirk. It wouldn't be too long before his plan fell into place and she was his again. And this time he would make sure forever was truly forever.

Stefan had killed the girl, which only caused his inner ripper to grow within when Klaus said, "Now we can go."

Feelings were only ever capable of fucking the situation up for the both of them.

**A.N.**

**Thoughts? It would be cool if I could get a little feed back.**

**Next chapter starts off about right where we left off and will probably be mainly the summer.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**

**Epicness to come!**


	23. Chapter 23: Give Me a Bloody Break

Chapter 23: Give Me a Bloody Break

**Third Person P.O.V**.

"Here," said Klaus as he threw her the keys. "Go wait in the car. We'll join you in a minute."

Rolling her eyes she left the building and headed towards the parking lot. One would think that this would be the time to run, to be free, but she knew better. She knew that if she ran he would just bit Damon. But, what scared her the most was that she knew if she ran he would find her, he would always find her.

Unlocking the big, black SUV, she took the drivers seat, and waited.

Not long after, Stefan and Klaus joined her.

Klaus came up to her side of the car, opened her door, and asked, "Now, what exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Driving. Duh."

"I don't think so. Back seat, now."

"You can't be serious?"

"Oh I'm quite serious, love," he said as he flashed her one of his signature devilish looks.

Rolling her eyes, she got out of the drivers seat, and slammed the door. Then, she took her seat in the back, while Stefan took shotgun.

"There's no need to be rude," muttered Klaus as he hopped in.

No one said a word as Klaus started driving. Neither Red nor Stefan bothered to ask where they were going but they knew they were heading south, and neither one cared. In the end, they both knew it wasn't going to end well either way.

Eventually, when Red was "sleeping" in the back seat, Stefan tried to find at least some answers. He just couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So, are you ever going to fill me in or do you enjoy being the only one who knows everything?"

"You know Stefan, you could be just a tad more grateful to me. After all, I did save your brother's life and in a sense I am saving yours as well."

"Because killing my girlfriend really saved me," remarked Stefan sarcastically.

"Trust me, I saved you from the wrath of a Petrova. They ruin everything."

Stefan became confused but decided to ask another question. "What about her?" he said glancing at Red.

"What about her?"

"Why did you trick her into selling her soul over to you if Damon already had the cure? What's her purpose? Cause last time I checked she was planning your demise."

"Well, she has many usefully talents. Like you she's quite the killer when she allows herself to be. And the rest... You'll only ever know when I want you to know."

After that they were both silent. I mean what exactly are you suppose to say to the man who killed your girlfriend and used your weakness against you?

They were heading in one direction or another. Neither Red nor Stefan were paying any attention as to where they were going. They could care less.

After a few hours straight in the car Red was about to die. She didn't know if it was the fact that she had to be within five feet of her enemy or if she still had feelings for him. She prayed it was the first one and that soon she could at least get some distance from the monster. Her prayers were answered when Klaus finally pulled into a motel. He told her to stay in the car and then went in to get some rooms.

"Stefan, we have to talk," she blurted out.

After a minute, Stefan was about to respond but Klaus came back, thus cutting him off.

"Okay, so they had two rooms available. Stefan, heres your key," he said as he tossed him his key and he took off.

"No," she stated when Stefan was out of earshot.

"No what?" Klaus questioned.

"I know what you're trying to do, Klaus. You can't fool me with your 'There's only two rooms vacant' crap. I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were," he said as he through up his hands in surrender.

Then, she walked away. She had only gone a few steps when the bastard blurred in front of her in the dark black night.

"And where do you think your going, love?" he asked as his face was only inches from hers. She could feel his warm, hot breath on her skin as he spoke, and it sent shivers down her spine. But, she had to be strong. She couldn't just let him win.

"First of all," she said as she threw a finger in his face. "Don't call me that. Second of all, whatever it is you have planned in that fucked up head of yours forget it, because it wasn't part of the deal. And third of all, you better back the fuck off and let me go to Stefan's room before I find a way to kill," she paused and got real close to his ear and whispered, "Again."

He let out a smirk as she pushed passed him and walked away towards Stefan's room. Then, he spoke and knew damn well she could hear him from across the lot, "Just as feisty as I remember."

"Stefan," she said as she knocked on his door. Not but a second later he opened the door. "Can I stay with you?"

"Only if Klaus won't kill me because of it."

"Don't worry I won't let him beat the shit out of you," she said cheerfully as she strolled right in and into the bathroom to change into some comfy sweats to sleep in.

Moments later she emerged from the bathroom and said, "I'll take the coach."

"No, don't be ridiculous. I'll take the coach, you take the bed."

"No, Stefan. I intruded on you,,, The bed is big enough for the both of us."

So, they both hopped into bed and turned off the light. Neither could sleep and neither could take the silence. Eventually, Stefan broke it. "Why did you do it?," he asked.

"Do what?"

"Try and save Damon. Why do you even care?"

"It's complicated."

"No, it's not."

"Fine. I did it because I care for him as I care for you."

"I don't understand."

"You're not supposed to, no one is."

"Okay then. What about Klaus?"

"What about the bastard?"

"Why does he want you here and what did he do to piss you off so much?"

She let out a little laugh. "What didn't he do to piss me off should be the question. But, lets just say he enjoys my killing/torching ways. Why does he want you?" She knew exactly why he wanted Stefan. She knew all about Chicago and their little adventure. If only she could save Stefan now, like the times she sent Lexi to save him.

"Because of my deep, dark secret, the fact that I'm a ripper," he sighed. "I've had it under control, but he's been trying to bring it forth. Now, it's scratching just below the surface, trying, hoping to break free. When Klaus is around I have to fight twice as hard every second to keep it contained, but it's coming... I just know it. I've reached my breaking point."

"Stefan, don't say that. You are stronger than you think. I know that you can overcome whatever the bastard throws at you."

"How do you know that? We barely know each other."

"You'd be surprised. Besides, my secrets are worse. So, I know that if I can overcome my obstacles that eventually you can say suck it to yours."

"And what is yours?"

She sighed before she answered. "I'm a hybrid."

"But, that's impossible. Klaus just broke the curse."

"Trust me, it's not impossible."

"So that's why Klaus wants you. Because, he's afraid to be the only one of his kind, especially if he doesn't succeed make all those hybrids."

"To an extend you're probably right."

There were too many secrets and eventually she would reach her breaking point.

How could she possibly stand to be around her husband and at the same time conceal the truth from Stefan for as long as possible? She couldn't tell Stefan all that there was to know. He wouldn't be able to handle it, no one would.

If only Elijah or Kol were there. Maybe then she could live to tell the tale.

**A.N.**

**Short? Yes, I know, but I'm about ready to fall asleep and would rather post this now then to finish it next week and post a longer one than.**

**Desperate for some feed back.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	24. Chapter 24: Cover Me

**Chapter 24: Cover Me**

Before the sun had a chance to shimmer and dance throughout the room Stefan awoke. He had spent the majority of his night tossing and turning, contemplating everything about his situation. He questioned everything from morals, to Damon, to Elena, and he even questioned everything he knew about the girl he just met, Red.

The feeding and the urges to kill had been growing within him and he was ready to burst.

He decided too to take a before sunrise walk to try and clear his head. Also, it wasn't going to hurt him either if he got some animal blood in his system.

Carefully he woke Red by touching her arm and gently moving it back and forth. She groaned at him and he quietly whispered, "Hey, I'm going to go take a quick walk. I'll be back before Klaus even knows, but will you cover for me if something happens?"

She swatted at him to go away and mumbled into her pillow, "Duh. Now go away I don't do mornings."

For some reason the way that she said what she said made him laugh a little inside. Then, he left in the darkness to find himself.

Red had slept a little better than usual since she was near someone. Nothing between her and Stefan had happened, it was just the comfort of someone close to her. And it worked, it worked for a little while. But, then reality set in and so did the truth.

The sun still hadn't risen and death decided to barge through the door. He strolled right in, looked right at her in admiration, and sat down in the chair on her side of the bed. He was careful not wake her, but little did he know that she had become a very light sleeper as of recently.

"I thought I had more time before I was forced to deal with this," she mumbled into her pillow.

Klaus couldn't help but smile a little, but then reality for him set in. He noticed that the other part of the bed was slept in and all he could think was that she had slept with Stefan. But, he was smarter than to bring up something like that at this moment and quickly concealed his anger with torment.

"Come on, get up," he told her as he stripped her of her sheets. She laid before him with her dark auburn, pin straight hair everywhere, wearing short pj shorts, and a sweatshirt.

"You suck," she spat at him.

"Yeah yeah, I know. Now, will you please get dressed." It had been a statement, not a question.

"Is this my first order or are you just being you?"

"Just go get dressed."

"Fine," she snapped as she got up and headed towards the bathroom.

Moments later she emerged wearing jeans and her grey sweatshirt, her hair was thrown up into a messy bun. She felt no need to put forth effort or do her make up.

"Happy now, Master," she mocked with a fake grin.

"No, not really. But, lets go."

Groaning in agony she followed him out the door, making sure she slammed it extra hard on her way out.

She followed him to the car, dreading every moment to come. He opened the passenger door for her like a gentlemen, but she had other ideas. She was already in the drivers seat. This caused him to get angry and annoyed, and his facial expression to flip.

"Move," he grumbled under his breath.

"You're such a bore," she said as she slid over to the other seat and he went around to the driver's seat.

He put the car in drive and not even thirty seconds into the ride Red spoke. "Where the fuck are we going? The sun hasn't even risen. It's too early for this," she moaned as she ran her hands over her face, threw her hood on, and lounged back into her seat.

"You need to lighten up a bit. Maybe even go with the flow."

"Last time I did that I ended up with having to serve a century to a dick head who looks a lot like you."

"Ouch. That hurts. Really it does," he said sarcastically as he placed his hand over his nonexistent heart.

"So you're not going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nope."

"Lovely," she said as she rolled her eyes.

Klaus pulled into a deserted parking lot, got out of the car, and swiftly sped to open her door, but she beat him to the door. No way in Hell was she going to let him help her in any way.

"Wow. Look, nothing."

"Is this really how you're gonna be?" he asked her.

"If that's what it takes," she smiled.

"Come," he told her and she had no choice but to obey.

He lead her down the sandy, little beach.

After they had walked a few a few hundred yards Red was about to explode. "So what, this is it? You dragged me out of bed before the crack of dawn just so we could take a walk! You've gotten stupider."

"Personally, I feel as if I have gotten smarter. But hey, that's just me."

"More like ruder... So tell me what's your plan?"

"So we're playing twenty questions now? Okay. Hybrid army, duh."

"Well obviously. But, not that plan."

"Oh, the one with you. Well I guess I can tell you now since it is falling perfectly into place." She rolled her eyes as he got cocky. "Well, it's quite simple really. Step 1, make you in my debt, check. Step 2, make you fall once again hopelessly and head over heals in love with me. And step 3, well you can figure that one out on your own," he said with the rising of his eyebrows.

"You're sick and your plan will never in a million years work."

"Well, I do have eternity. My turn, why did you sleep with Stefan?"

"Jealous already? Wow, that's a new record. There was enough room on the bed so it was stupid for one of us to take the couch."

"So nothing-"

"God you're disgusting. I don't like Stefan that way. So, just because we're not together you think I'm a slut?"

"I never said that! Besides we are still together and that counts as your questions."

"We are not and damn it!"

"Yes, we are and my turn. Why did you never come back? After all those centuries you never came back. You went so far as to fake your own death in the end and I want to know why. Why do you hate me? Why didn't you come back?"

This caused her to stop in her tracks and face him. "Look, you know why I left. You know that I always keep my word. We both know that if you hadn't been such a dick head back in England than things would be normal now, but they're not. They never will be, and the sooner you can accept that the better... As for my death, I did that so you... and I could move on. Every time I saw you you just looked so sad and depressed that-"

"What do you mean every time you saw me?" With that she picked up the pace and started back towards the car. He couldn't help but lit up with confidence. "Oh, so you've been watching me," he said as he closed his door.

"Look, the easiest way to avoid someone is to know where they are all the time. So in a sense I had been watching you. So what?"

"Nothing, oh nothing." Confidence was boiling with in him. "Look, I love you, Rufina. I never stopped loving you and I never will. The sooner you accept that and give in the better."

"I can't accept it if it isn't true."

"Fine then if it isn't truth who is the last man you've slept with?" She couldn't help but blush a smidge.

"Your brother," she stated and Klaus' face went numb.

"You're lying."

"Am I? Am I really, Klaus?"

"Don't call me that." He had only ever really liked it when she called him Nik. Especially when she use to say, 'my Nik.'

"Don't call you what, Klaus?"

"You're lying," he repeated and she was lying, but he didn't need to know that.

"Why don't you wake him up and find out?"

"I'm not stupid enough to fall for your silly little tricks... Which brother?" he asked with fear.

"You'll only ever know when you undagger them both I guess."

With that the sun began to rise, bringing a new day full of choices, misery, hate, and love.

A wise man once said, 'We accept the love we think we deserve.' Was that why neither one of them hadn't accept anyone's love in centuries? Or was that why they only ever accepted the love from each other? But, in Red's case she wasn't planning on accepting anybody's love ever again. She was burnt out and didn't feel like she deserved anything in life. And if you don't think you deserve anyone's love, then how can you allow for others to love you. If she remained forever alone and unhappy she would only have herself to blame, and she only wanted to blame herself.

**A.N.**

**I'M SO SORRY ITS BEEN FOREVER! But I finished drivers ed and got my lisence! **

**I promise things will pick up soon and I'm sorry for the shortness, I just wanted to get something out there before christmas.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (;**


	25. Chapter 25: Listen

_Chapter 25: Listen_

**Red's P.O.V**

After weeks of Klaus being his usual self, I was about ready to give up. I couldn't take it anymore. Yes, I liked killing, but I knew it was wrong and that hurt. I had changed my ways only for them to be changed once more.

I was absolutely sick of the way he had been treating Stefan. I tried time and time again to let him release Stefan. I even said in return that I would serve him for an additional 500 years, but every time he said the same thing, "no."

Given everything that had happened so far over the summer, I assumed Stefan knew that there was more between the monster and I then met the eye. But, Stefan was respectful so far and didn't ask any question pertaining to my relations with any of the originals, and for that I was forever thankful. We had been spending so much time together that one would assume that we had become friends. Nothing crazy had happened between us, but it seemed we understood each other most of the time. He knew I knew all of his Elena secrets and he trusted me. He even opened up to me about his relationship with his brother, including their little adventure with Katerina, which I already knew about.

Daily Klaus would try to put the moves on me, but I wouldn't hear any of it. Whenever he tried to open the door for me I would simply beat him to it or open the other door. Him being nice to me was making it harder and hard to hate him, but I still did. Mostly because he tried to pull a lot of 'there's only a few rooms vacant' crap. That right there pissed me off to every extend possible. Why couldn't he get the hint? I didn't want him, however, I had to admit, despite all the killing and werewolf hunting, that I was having a little fun, but Klaus didn't need to know that.

We had started out in Florida and basically had been working ourselves up the coast, which landed us in Tennessee. It was stupid to be looking for one fucking werewolf. Could I have told him where to find a few packs? Yes, but I wasn't stupid and that definitely wouldn't have helped my cause. His need for his hybrids was and still I absolutely stupid and self centered.

Since I hadn't much clothes when I left on this little adventure with the monster, I made him buy me some clothes. We were in the deep south so of course I had to get a pair of real, red, leather cowgirl boots. Along with that I also got a few pairs of jeans, shorts, some shirts, and a grey leather jacket. Of course when I went shopping the ass hole insisted on coming along and laughed at my boots. But lets be real, they were a sick pair of boots.

Apparently it was time to go and get the poor sucker ray.

We got out of the car and began to walk. Klaus ordered Stefan to hang in the front after he scope out the house from the property and for me to stay and with himself into the house. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"So, what's your strategy this time?" I asked him while we waited outside and I sat on the hood of the car.

"I was thinking our car needs a jump start, where on our honeymoon, and then we enter through force," he replied.

"Lame."

"Like you could do better."

"Car ran out of gas, and we walked a few miles because our phones died and we can't call for help. Oh, and we're my brother."

"Whatever you say, love." He smiled.

A slutty woman walked outside and started calling for dog and complaining.

"Rudy!" She whistled. "Rudy. Come on! It's too hot to make me come looking for you," complained the women. Then, she bend down to pick up a toy and we decided to make our move. When she turned around she came face to face with Klaus and I.

"I'm so sorry. We didn't mean to scare you," I apologized to the slut and Klaus being the ass hole he is decided to drape his arm over me.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, our car hmm, our car ran out of gas a couple of miles back. Eh I feel like I've been walking forever yours is the first house we've come to so we were just hoping we could use your phone?" answered Klaus in the worst accent I had ever heard.

"Don't you have a cell phone?" snapped the women.

"Huh, yeah." He pulled out his phone. "Battery died. Look I promise we're not serial killers we just wanna use your phone. We're on our honeymoon and it has just been one disaster after another." I was about ready to smack him hard, real hard.

The woman sighed and then replied with a "sure." Then, she began to head back inside.

"Soo, we can come in?" asked the ass hole as he released me and took a step forward.

"No, I'll get the phone and I'll bring it out to you." That only put Klaus in a pissy mood.

"I thought you country folks were supposed to be more trusting," he said, his voice filled with deep anger.

"I'm from Florida."

"Well, that explains it," I said and he decided to speed to her, grab the poor girl's throat, and compel her.

"Now show us a little southern hospitality. Sweet pea," he compelled.

We entered the house after we had been ever so graciously invited in and went to the kitchen where another woman was.

The darker colored woman was pouring some fried vegetables into a bowl when she said to her friend from afar, "I bet you a hundred dollars that dog ran off to a house with air conditioning." She turned around to find the three of us standing before her. Her friend was shaking as she covered her arms in insincerity. "What's going on?" she questions with fear.

"Please don't be alarmed. We were told Ray Sutton lives here," I stated.

"He's almost never here. He's on the road mostly," replied the woman.

Klaus spoke, "But I expect he makes it home, once a month. That's what I thought. Where is he now?" There was no reply. "If I have to make you tell me it's going to be infinitely more painful for you. Hmm." He couldn't help but smile.

Goddamn it! Why the fuck did he always have to look so good when he when he went all evil and crazy. This was to a long few decades.

The uncompelled woman tried to make a break for it, but Stefan was already waiting for her in the doorway causing her to let out a scream. And then she let let out another scream when she turned around to find that she was face to face with me.

Klaus came shortly behind me with little miss Florida at his side.

"I love it when they run!" he exclaimed.

Thankfully, the darker colored women gave up with tears escaping as she said, "He's in Toll. It's near the border. A bar called Southern Comfort. It's on Highway 41."

"Thank you my love," said Klaus. And yes, it piss the shit out of me when he called another woman love. Fuck him. No, wait, I didn't want to fuck him... I hoped. Klaus touched the blonde girl's hair causing her to sob and he asked, "Now, may my friend come in?"

"Yes," she cried and I took a step to the side to allow Stefan to walk in.

Both women were terrified as Stefan strolled in. Klaus pushed the compelled woman into Stefan and said, "Kill this one quickly." Then, he looked at the other woman. "And make that one suffer. I'll be in the car. And Red?" he turned to face me. "Make sure Stefan carries out my order." With that he left with a grin and the women were crying.

"Please don't!" begged the blonde, but it was no use. Stefan quickly and swiftly bit her.

The second woman had begun to scream bloody murder. "Shut the fuck up," I yelled at her and then Stefan began to make her suffer and rip them apart, only for them to be put back together.

I could see the pain entangled with vampire nature in Stefan's eyes. It pained me to see him that way.

After that little ripper episode, we got back in the car and of course I was forced to take the backseat.

"Well that was fun," said Klaus. Neither Stefan or I responded. "Come on now. I was only trying to lighten the mood."

"Well don't," remarked Stefan.

"And don't ever try to do a southern accent again," I said.

"I thought my accent was quite good, love."

"Nope. It sounded like you were choking. On second thought, do it again. Maybe then you'll drop dead."

"I can see you're being your usual lovely, charming self."

"At your service," I said sarcastically.

We stopped at a model for the night and the next day we headed up to the bar where Ray was. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer when Klaus decided to make his move.

"Ray? Ray Sutton?" Klaus ask with intrigue as he took a seat to the left of Ray and I took ono to the the right.

"Who wants to know?"

"I've been looking everywhere for you. We started in Florida, Pensacola. I met a young chap there who you used to work with before you moved to Memphis, now he directed me to two lovely young women. And they led me here, to you."

"I think I'll be going," said Ray as he tried to leave, but I was quicker and blocked his path.

"Not so fast mate. You only just got here," I said.

"Now your type are very hard to come by,"said he monster.

Ray tried to make his escape the other way but Stefan blocked him "I wouldn't do that," he said in Sutton's ear as he pushed him back.

"Vampires," stated Ray.

"Swiftly swift Ray, Yes my friend here is a vampire, he compelled everybody in the bar so don't look to them for any help. We however, are something else, a different kind of monster, we've got some vampire, we've got some wolf," said Klaus as he snatched up Ray's drink.

"You what?"

"A hybrid Ray, I'm both. You see I want to create more of me, now you being the first werewolf that I've come across in many a moon, pun intended Ray. I need you to direct me to your pack. So, where can I find them Ray?:

"You can't compel me, it won't work."

"We're not stupid, Ray," I stated as I rolled my eyes.

Stefan scratched the side of his head, Klaus looked at him and nodded. Stefan turned around and took out a little bag. "Can I get a scotch on the rocks please," he said to the bar man.

Then to Ray I said, "Tell you what Ray. We're gonna play a little drinking game, something I like to call truth or wolfsbane." Then, Stefan proceeded to pull out a pouch of wolfsbane into his hand and crushed it.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun Ray," said Klaus.

Stefan and I had chained Ray to the wall and began to use his body as a dart board using wolfsbane soaked darts. He couldn't help but scream in bloody pain.

I had gotten tired of throwing darts so I decided to take a seat next to Klaus and watch. "Ray, you can end this right now," I call over to him.

"You always did have to funnest of torturing ideas," sad Klaus to me with a bright smile on his face.

"Just shut up," I replied.

"Just tell me where your pack gathers for the full moon," said Stefan as he ripped one of the darts out of Ray's face and he continued to pant.

"I can't.

"I know, I know. You live by code and all that, but see he's not gonna let me stop until you tell me. And I do whatever he says so, that's the way it goes around here."

"Hello mister Klaus," said a woman who came over to our table. "I have some more information for you. You told me to tell you if I saw anything. I saw the guys spotted Damon at the farm house."

This caused both of us to stand and Klaus said to the girl or slut, "Well thank you Claudine, you'll just tell your friends to keep up the good work or they're gonna watch her."

The girl left and Stefan come over.

"My brother still on our trail?"

"He's getting closer, I'm gonna have to have Red deal with that."

"I told you we should've torched the place, but no one ever listens to me," I said and rolled my eyes.

"No, no, no. Let me handle it," said Stefan as he grabbed Klaus' arm.

"Why should I let you leave?" questioned Klaus.

"Cause, you'll know I'll come back."

"Do I? Are you sure I don't need to send Red to babysit you?"

"You saved my brother's life; I'm at your service."

"Ah, it all sounds so tedious and indentured, aren't you even having the least bit of fun?" he said gesturing to Ray with a big smile.

"I'll make sure that my brother doesn't bother us anymore," Stefan said and walked away.

"You need to relax. We both know Stefan won't run. He knows that it would be incredibly stupid for him to run. If he did you would just find his brother, bit him, and make Stefan watch as he died," I said as I chugged the rest of my beer.

"I hadn't thought of that one yet. Thanks, love," he said as I was forced to roll my eye.

He debated a moment before he gave me an order after I had tortured the location out of Ray. "Move him to the pool table." And that's exactly what I did. I had decided that it had become useless to argue or put up a fight for the time being.

Ray laid on the table struggling to breath as Klaus circled around him. "Ok, it's a three step process, Ray. This is step one. I want you to drink from my wrist."

"I already told you where to find the pack. What more do you want from me?"

"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying, Ray? I have great plans for you," he said as he pointed my knife at him. Then, he cut his wrist and forced Ray to drink it as he coughed and flopped. "You'll thank me for it later, huh. There we go, at a boy!"

When he was finished I asked, "How do you sleep at night?"

"Like a baby, love. But it would be better if-"

"I'm gonna stop you there. I really don't want to hear that."

Next thing I knew, Stefan arrived and Ray asked, "What are you going to do now?"

"It's time for step two, Ray," replied Klaus and then he snapped his neck, killing him. "You're back," he said to Stefan.

"Did you doubt me?"

"Not for a second. I knew you'd pass the test. You still care for your brother, for your old life."

"Nah, I don't care about anything anymore."

"You put on a good show Stefan. I almost believe you. Lets hope, for your brother's sake, he does. You never stop caring about family." He looked to me. "Do you?" he asked me, but I refused to look at him causing him to return his gaze to Stefan who was facing the opposite direction. "But, every time you feed, the blood makes it easier to let go."

Stefan then went out for some air. Moments later Klaus said to me, "Go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." So I went outside to check on him.

He had called Elena and I had heard everything she had said. It pained me. His face pained me most of all. I could see every ounce of pain through it. He was so brave and selfless. The tears built up to the point of explosion in his eyes, but he fought it back.

When he hung up I walked over to him and hugged him. I knew that was exactly what he needed as he let a few of his tears escape and he hugged me back.

**AN**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	26. Chapter 26: The Pain in His Eyes

_Chapter 26: The Pain in his eyes_

**Red's P.O.V.**

All I could see were trees, trees, and more trees. It ended up being quite nauseating. That was the one thing that I hated about hiking. Everything looked that same, thus making hiking annoying, pissy, and and Klaus was being his usual assy self. He spent the whole hike trying to make Stefan and I converse with him. We had both had it up to God only knows where and were about ready stake him again and again.

Stefan was stuck with Ray unconscious on his shoulders. Ray wasn't heavy to a vampire, it was just annoying.

"You ok? Is Ray getting heavy?" teased Klaus as we kept getting closer and closer to the camp.

"I'm fine," spat Stefan.

"You sure about that? You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit-down..." I was forced to roll my eyes. As if Klaus actually cared.

"You know, I get that we're, uh... we're stuck together, but if we could maybe just skip the chit chat, it'd be great."

"So much brooding. Your self-loathing is suffocating you, my friend."

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm a little tired of hunting werewolves. We've been at it all summer."

"And we've been stuck with you all summer. And last time I checked, you were and still are a pain in both of our asses. If only you knew how to make real friends, then maybe we wouldn't be stuck with you in the first place. But you don't and you're afraid to be alone," I said to Klaus, causing a faint smile to form on Stefan's lips as anger and frustration boiled inside of Klaus.

"Thanks to our pal Ray, we found ourselves a pack. There," said Klaus as he pushed aside my comment and we all looked over at the camp.

Stefan and I entered the camp, causing all the wolves to look at us. As soon as Stefan put Ray on the ground a woman rushed over to him and panicking. "Ray! Oh, my God. What's going on? Who are you?" she asked.

With that Klaus decided to make his dramatic entrance and appeared next to me. "The important question is who am I. Please forgive the intrusion. My name is Klaus."

This caused the woman to get up and coward to her boyfriend for comfort as she said, "You're the hybrid."

Of course that caused the ass hole to smile. Some people just need so much attention and to be known, it was sickening really. "You've heard of me. Fantastic."

I was about ready to shoot myself.

Klaus then decided to continue with his dramatic shenanigans and so he took a seat on a log. Stefan followed and sat as well shortly after. I, however, decided to stay standing and was leaning against a tree.

All eyes were on Klaus as he continues to shpiel because he could never just simple get the job done, that was the problem with most villains. They usually spent so much time talking about God only knows what, that their plans usually failed.

"It's fascinating, actually... A werewolf who isn't beholden to the moon, a vampire who doesn't burn in the sun. A true hybrid." Suddenly, Ray woke up. He was gasping for breath and filled with questions. "Excellent timing, Ray. Very dramatic." Just like Klaus, very dramatic and full of shit.

"What's happening to me?" he asked.

"Red?" My que of course.

I left my position of leaning against the tree and took a few steps forward. Then, I began to circle around the area of the camp of which everyone was gathered. "Are any of you human? Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition to vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die. And that would be a crying shame, now wouldn't it? If any of you possess any true code loyalty, then I'd stand up I were you or let you innocent friend die. It's your choice really."

"Doesn't take much," chimed in Klaus as he got up. "Just a sip. Anyone? A boyfriend, a girlfriend, along for the ride?" Then, he spotted the human man. "You."

In a flash Klaus bit the poor lads forearm and threw him into Stefan. Stefan then threw him to the ground and as hovering over him, holding him down.

The woman tried to protest, but I caught her when she tried to run to the injured. In an effort to keep her still I did end up strangling her a tad, but she kept moving.

"If you don't drink it, Ray, I will. Problem is I don't know how to stop," said Stefan.

Then, Klaus, who was sadly right next to me, looked at the girl and said, "It's the new order, sweetheart. You join us, or you die."

"I'd rather die than be a vampire," she spat at him.

"Wrong choice," he replied as I throw the girl into his arms. He bit his wrist and fed the girl his blood.

Ray then gave in a drank from the human.

"She'll thank me for that later," said the monster as he tossed her back into my arms. I then snapped her neck and let her fall to the cold, hard, forest ground. "Ok, who's next?" he asked as his eyes turned yellow and his fangs came out. He was a monster.

He then proceeded to feed every last werewolf his blood and then ordered Stefan and I to kill them all, which we did.

Klaus then gave the human his blood and compelled him as he lay there on the ground, "There. Good as new. Now you relax, ok, mate? We're gonna need you when the rest of them wake up."

Ray was shaking and bleeding like a crazy person when he started talking. "They're dead. They're all dead," he said.

"Ah, he's through his transition. He should be feeling better soon," said Klaus and I was forced to let out a little laugh, which earned me a glare from him.

"So is this your master plan?" asked Stefan. "Build an army of hybrid slaves?" Oh dear sweet baby Jesus, why the fuck did Stefan have to go there.

"No, not slaves. Soldiers, comrades."

"For what war, might I ask?" asked Stefan and once I again I couldn't help laugh a little.

"Oh, you don't arm yourself after war has been declared, Stefan. You build your army so big that-"

"No one ever dares pick a fight," I finished his sentence. I had heard the shpiel one hundred too many times before.

"What makes you so sure that they'll be loyal?"

"Well, it's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team. That's something you'll learn once you shake that horribly depressive chip off your shoulder," he said which caused Stefan to laugh.

"That's why you're, uh... you're keeping me around? To witness my attitude adjustment?"

"You'll know why I'm keeping you around when I've decided that I want you to know," said Klaus as he examined Ray's face which only continued to bleed. "Something's wrong."

"That shouldn't be happening, should it?" asked Stefan.

"Well, obviously," I said.

"You said it was gonna feel better. Why doesn't it feel better?" asked Ray as he continued shaking and looked to Klaus for the answers.

"Some master race," said Stefan.

"Lose the attitude," replied Klaus sternly.

Suddenly, the girl from earlier woke up and Klaus said, "Derek, come feed your girlfriend."

Next thing anyone knew Ray snarled, made a few jumps, and bolted.

Klaus looked at Stefan and said, "Go get him." He waited a few moments until Stefan was gone and the said to me, "Come on, lets go make sure he knows how to capture a hybrid."

I didn't say anything in reply, I just followed him as we went after Stefan.

We caught up to Stefan when I asked, "Where did he go?"

"He, uh... he got away. Forget him. Let's go," said Stefan as he tried to lead us in the other direction, but Klaus stopped him by grabbing his bitten arm and truth be told I knew exactly why he was leading us in the other direction.

"A fatal werewolf bite. Ouch."

"Yeah. I'm gonna need your blood to heal me."

"Well, I tell you what. You find Ray, and then I'll heal you.

"You can't be serious."

"You better hurry, 'cause that bite looks nasty."

Stefan then took off, which once again left me with Klaus. "Go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid... again. Then, come back to camp when you know he has the situation under control. I'll be need your help later, so hurry."

"Sure thing, Master of all Hybrids," I answered with my usual sarcasm, thus earning a glare from Klaus before taking off to follow Stefan.

It was night and I finally found Damon on his own. I needed to talk to him.

"Damon," I said causing him to turn on his heels. "What the fuck in fucking Hell are you doing here? And why the bloody fuck did you bring Elena and Ric? I told you to stay away and let me handle this. I told you that I would figure it all out and get Stefan to you as soon as time allowed and as soon as he was better. Didn't you get my damn letter!"

"Well, you see... I did, but-"

"But fucking nothing! I don't care. Just get out of here and let me-" I was cut off by Ray jumping on my back and biting me on my bare skin near my collar bone. I swiftly threw him off of my back and onto the cold, hard, forest ground. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath as I pinned Ray down on his back and ripped out his heart, only throw it aside.

I stood up, looked Damon dead on in the eye, and said, "And that is how you take down a stupid, fucking, little hybrid. Okay?"

"Thank you," he said.

"Damon, you owe me one now. So, can you please try and stay away?"

"Only if you send me updates."

"Fine. Now, try not to get yourself killed anytime soon, cause I won't be there to hold your hand again," I teased because I knew he could handle it.

With that I left to head back to camp. As soon as I left Damon, Stefan appeared in front of him and I thought it best not to interfere with their brotherly moments to come. So, I kept walking and left Stefan to deal with bringing Ray back.

The only problem with going back was that I had gotten bit. It didn't make any sense. How could a hybrid bit affect me? The only conclusion that I could come to was that since Ray was a rabid hybrid, the bit could affect me. So, I fixed my jacket by poppin my collar to hide the wound. Because at that moment, that was exactly what I wanted, to die and be gone forever. I wanted to be rid of my problems and I didn't want to have to think or worry anymore. I want things to be simple again.

I marched back to camp and by the time I had gotten back all hell had already broken loose for Klaus as I had expected. Every single one of the werewolves were dead. He seemed more lost than ever, and so I allowed myself this one time to be nice to him and sat down next to him.

He handed me a beer, which I chugged, and he asked, "Is this the part where you laugh at me and spit in my face?"

"No, not this time." He seemed relieved.

"How did it work for you, but not for them? It doesn't make any sense," he said quietly.

"We both know my case was different. If only you could let this hold hybrid army thing go. Then, maybe then, things could be different."

"Things... Like things between you and I?" he asked. His eyes were full of forgiveness and his voice full of hurt.

"Maybe," I answered softly.

The whole mood suddenly changed when Stefan appeared with dead Ray on his back. He tossed Ray to the ground and was groaning in pain as he held his bit. I on the other hand, could stand pain and knew how to mask my emotions.

"They went rabid. Some of them, I killed. The others just... Bled out. In the end... They're all dead," he said softly and walked over closer to Stefan. He then took the opportunity to tell us both how he really felt. He yelled and then throw his beer so that it smashed into thousands of little pieces, just like his heart. Stefan was then made uncomfortable, but I was use to it. "I did everything I was told!" he yelled with a broken heart. "I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse. I killed a werewolf. I killed a vampire. I killed the doppelganger... You look like hell," he said to Stefan.

"Last I checked, I'm dying... And you don't want to heal me... I had to take him out. I didn't have a choice." Stefan didn't have to take the blame for me, but he did. It wasn't necessary, but I was still thankful. "I failed you. I'm sorry. Do what you have to do." He then took one step closer to Klaus.

"It should have worked." No it shouldn't have. Good Lord, sometimes I thought Klaus was stupid. Did he honestly think that anyone would make it that easy for him?

Klaus turned his back on Stefan and grabbed a beer. He gave Stefan a stare down to cause him to stir and question before he bit his wrist. He then squeezed his blood into the bottle. "Bottoms up," he said and handed the bottle to Stefan. "We're leaving. It appears you two are the only comrade I have left."

Klaus walked off and I followed right behind as Stefan drank the blood and tossed it aside.

As much as I didn't want to, I felt bad for Klaus. Everything in his life had just been going wrong and the look that he had in his eyes pained me. I didn't want it to pain me, but it did.

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	27. Chapter 27: I Will Always Save You

_Chapter 27: I Will Always Save You_

**Third Person P.O.V.**

They headed down the mountain, got a motel for the night, and by daybreak all three of them were in the car and of to Chicago. Klaus was still full of anger, disappointment, and sadness. Red's heart told her to comfort him and maybe even help him, but her mind told her to fuck off.

Red was full of confusion and pain. She was conflicted on every level possible. In her own little way, she was lost, and she had been that way for so many years. She needed to help get Stefan on track and eventually take Klaus down, but the truth was stopping her. The truth was that she was still undeniably and forever in love with a monster. But the thing was, he was her monster, he would always be her monster.

She had managed to hide her pain from both Klaus and Stefan for a good chunk of time. If Klaus found out about her bite he would without a doubt force feed her his blood. If Stefan found out, he would first try and make her go to Klaus for help, but when she refused he would tell Klaus and he would heal her. Either way, she couldn't let either know, because she knew what she wanted and she wasn't going to allow for anyone to change her mind. She was sick and tired of everyone and everything that had ever existed. After all those years, she had finally found a way to end it. Maybe if what went down hadn't happened, then things, her wishes, and her choices might have been different, but it had happened and she had made her choice.

They stopped at gas station around five or six at night. They were almost at Chicago, but they had to refuel first.

"I'll fill it up," said Red and Stefan headed inside. This was a first. She had always been the first one in the store getting some sort of snack, human or nonhuman.

"Are you alright, love," asked Klaus.

"Perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because you never have once offered to fill up the car. You always complain that you are starving and sprint inside," Klaus replied. His voice and his eyes were full of suspicion. This was definitely not like her.

"I'm just not hungry," she said as she shrugged her shoulders and put the gas in.

"But you're always hungry. Ever since I've known you, you've always been hungry."

"I'm just not! Okay?" she snapped at him.

Klaus was more than suspicious and a little hurt that she would just randomly snap at him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, just fine," she replied softly.

After the car had been filled, she took the pump out of the car and when she turned back around to close the cap Klaus caught her. He used his left hand to hold her still and his right to feel her forehead. She was burning up and he could feel the sweets that she had managed to hide.

"You're burning up," he stated. "What happened? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I'm fine!" With that she closed the cap on the gas and jumped back in the car with her arms crossed. She wasn't about to let Klaus baby her in any way, shape, or form.

Stefan and Klaus got in the car shortly after and they headed to a motel a little earlier than was planned. Once they got there, Klaus ordered Stefan to get the rooms. That left him and Red alone.

They both got out of the car and were standing next to each other waiting for Stefan. Red readjusted her position and fixed her jacket. When she fixed her jacket, Klaus, who was staring at her, noticed the slight pain she displayed. It had a gut feel of where the pain was coming from and he took his chances.

He instantly pulled down her jacket, revealing her shoulders. There, he saw it. He saw the nasty and disturbing effects of a rabid hybrid bit.

"You got bit," he stated with sorrow. It hurt him to know that she didn't tell him of it and she hadn't asked for his help. "Why didn't you tell me so I could help you," he said with care and concern in his voice.

"Did you maybe thing that I don't need and or want you help!" He snapped as him as she forcefully fixed her jacket. Then, the sweets came. She immediately started getting worse and worse. Next thing anyone knew, she fainted.

She fainted but Klaus swiftly caught her and Stefan came back with the room keys. He had Stefan bring her stuff and his into his room and then ordered Stefan to leave and go to his own. Stefan tried to get a glimpse of some answers, but Klaus shut him down without a thought.

He brought her into his room. He carefully changed her out of her clothes for her and put her into some comfy pjs. Then, he pulled back the covers on his queen bed and gently placed her there on her side of the bed. Next, he put back the covered and carefully bandaged her bit.

He ended up pacing back and forth, waiting for her to wake up.

After about an hour had gone by when she finally awoke. Immediately, Klaus flashed over to her bedside.

"Nik?" she asked as she gently touched the side of his face. That right there, her calling him Nik, that was how he knew right of the bat that she had to be hallucinating.

"Yes, love?" he replied as he gently stroked her hair.

"Nik, I am not afraid of you. You are no monster, you are simply lost. What you are is my Nik. I love you no matter what. Promise me you will never forget that," she whispered and he knew the exact day that she was remembering. It was one of her human days shortly before she died. It was the day that she made it all clear to him.

"I promise, love. I promise," he told her softly and gently kissed her forehead.

Over the next hour, she spent time mumbling pieces of her life, her life with him, conversations they had had, and promises they had made.

Finally, she woke up. She was in a panic of what had been going on since she fainted, but she was too weak to move. When Klaus noticed that she was awake, he went to her side.

"Please, let me heal you."

"I don't want your help, not anymore," she muttered under her breath.

"Why not?" he asked as he took the cool wet cloth and gently sponged her face to try and keep her fever down.

"Don't you get it? We're over, done, finished. You broke your promise and I kept mine." She coughed. "If I had wanted to come back, then I would of, but I didn't. For Christ's sake... I tried to kill you and you never even seemed mad about that. Or-"

He cut her off. "I still love you. Can't you see that?" he asked her with pleading eyes. "Please, even if you don't love me in return right now, let me heal you. Please, I can't lose anymore people in my life. I can change, I promise."

This all caused her to think. Did she really want to die? Or deep down did she just want him to come to her rescue? She wasn't sure, but she knew one thing. She knew that she didn't want to die, at least not yet.

She decided to let him heal her and to stick to her original plan. Get back the ones she loved, help Stefan, and hate Klaus. Right now, all she knew how to do was hate. She had been balled up for so many years that she forgot what it was like to truly open up and love.

"Heal me, but it doesn't mean anything, it doesn't mean I love you," she muttered under her breath as she continued to shake and sweat.

Without another word said, he pulled back his sleeve and held his wrist in front of her. She bit into his wrist and allowed for the sweet blood that she had always remembered to flow into her. Instantly, she felt a change in her condition. He didn't pull his wrist away, instead he allowed for her to decide when enough was enough.

He enjoyed the skin to skin contact with her and it caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. He missed her so much and no word or words could ever express how he truly felt about her. She brought hope, love, and joy into his life. Without her he had no hope, no love, and no joy. Without her he was a monstrous black hole that sucked the life out of others and caused them pain.

She slowly let go of his wrist. The blood had helped, but she still left weak. She slowly fell back into a slumber. Once she did, Klaus gently wiped the blood of her face. He was carefully not wake her and took great pleasure, believe it or not, in being the one to take care for her.

Next, he changed his clothes. Actually, it was more he took off all of his clothes and put a pair of pajama bottoms on, but same deal. He then pulled back the covers on his side of the bed and got under them. For him, at that moment, it felt like old times. Since she was passed out, he figured it wouldn't matter what he did. If she got mad at him or if she yelled at him, it didn't matter, her didn't care. He just wanted to hold her, at least one more time, because he wasn't sure if he'd ever get to hold her again. So, he rolled onto his left side and put his arms around her, just like he use to. He pulled her tightly against himself, allowing for his bare chest to keep her safe and comfort her. This was where he felt safe, like no one could touch him, this was where he felt like he wasn't alone anymore. It was his state of bliss.

Morning eventually came and it took the opportunity to wake Red. It wasn't actually morning, it was twilight. It was the period between darkness and sunrise. She wasn't fully awake but she was awake. For some reason she had actually slept well. It was the first time in years where she hadn't tossed and turned, woken up in the middle in a panic, or had a nightmare. She felt, in a sense, renewed.

She was extra comfy and she just couldn't place her finger on why. Then, she slowly rolled over to her other side, only to come face to face with her monster who looked peaceful and serene as he slept. He had always looked that way when he slept, like nothing could ever be wrong. He looked as if he were the gentle giant.

"Jesus God damn Christ!" she yelled when she saw him and jumped out of his grasp and out of bed.

"Good morning to you to, love," he said in his morning voice as he rolled onto his stomach to try and fall back to sleep.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! I get sick and you-you-"

"Took care of you? Yes, that's exactly what I did," he muttered into his pillow.

"No, not that. You-you-you tried to put the moves on me. And did you change my clothes?"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before. Besides, you weren't honestly going to sleep in those other clothes? Just come back to bed." He patted her spot on the bed. "Please?" he asked. "To be honest, I haven't slept that good in a very long time."

She was shocked. She had no idea that he too was having trouble sleeping.

"You've been having trouble sleeping?"

"Yes. Don't laugh, I know it sounds silly and stupid, but most of the time I end up having nightmares or end up shaking and what not. Sometimes I just can't fall back to sleep so I just walk around, and sometimes I just don't sleep." This all came as a shock to her. She had no idea that he had been going through the exact same thing as her. It caused her to feel a form of pity towards him. So, she allowed herself to do something that she didn't think she would ever do and climbed back into bed. She got back into her usual position and took his arms and moved them back around her. He then took the opportunity to snuggle completely into her and hold her tight once more.

"I have the same problem, as stupid as that sounds. So how about, just for the time being we continue to sleep together, but not like sleep together, sleep together? It just feels nice to get a good nights sleep for once." She sighed.

"Thank you, love," he said.

"I'm not doing this for you and your needs, but if this is going to work you cannot call me love and Stefan can't know. If he asks you why I'm sleeping in your room, it's because I am still a little sick and you are caring for me or something. Okay?"

"Okay on the second one, but I don't think I can do the first one. Sorry, love."

"Oh brother. This is going to be interesting," she mumbled and he couldn't help but to smirk a little as he pulled her just a smidge closer and nestled into her.

All she could think was, 'What have I gotten myself into, what have I gotten myself into,' over and over again she thought.

At that moment, it was the only solution to both of their problems so what could she do? She couldn't lie, she was enjoying the comfort and warmth of another, but she knew perfectly well that he was enjoying it much more than she was.

**AN**

**So what POV do you guys like the best? Red, Klaus, or third person?**

**Also, don't be afraid to review and give me your opinion or maybe even some ideas. I would greatly appreciate anything. Thanks!**

**Oh, and it totally makes my day when I'm on my phone in school and get a new follow, fav, or review. I totally flip shit in excitement and am like I can totally rock this day now! Yeah, it's lame but it gets me through those last few classes that makes most people want to sleep and die (not legit die, but dramatic teen die).**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	28. Chapter 28: There's More Than Meets

_Chapter 28: There's More Than Meets the Eye_

_**Third Person POV**_

They finally arrived in Chicago after hours of being stuck together. Red and Stefan were both ready to kill Klaus, because Klaus was just being Klaus.

Klaus was still angry and frustrated about his whole hybrid plan not getting off to a good start, but he definitely seemed better. Stefan couldn't quite put his finger on it. He noticed that both Klaus and Red seemed... better, perhaps. In a strange way they both seemed nicer and not as stressed. Stefan didn't know why, but he figured it had something to do with Red passing out. He was so confused that he didn't know which way was up or which was down.

"Welcome back to Chicago, Stefan," said Klaus as they all got out of the SUV.

"What are we doing here?" ask Stefan as they started walking towards a door and Klaus opened it.

"I know how much you loved it here. Bringing back memories of the good old ripper days?"

"Blacked out most of them. A lot of blood, a lot of partying. The details are all a blur."

"Well, that is a crying shame. The details are what makes it legend. Word was the ripper of Monterrey got lonely, so he escaped to the city for comfort. It was prohibition. Everything was off limits then, which made everything so much fun. Chicago was magical."

"Yeah, well, I'll take your word for it. Like I said, I don't remember most of it."

"Going to get down to business, then?" asked Klaus and he shut the door.

"Why am I still with you? We had our fun, your hybrids failed. I mean, don't you want to move on?" If only he could move on.

"We're going to see my favorite witch. If anyone can help us with our hybrid problem, it's her. I mean I was counting on you, Red, to help me with this, but either you've proven yourself useless or you just don't want to help me. Either way, I will get my hybrids." He smiled.

"Good for you," she muttered sarcastically under her breath. She wasn't really up for talking today or at all lately. It was as if she was simply there to exist. She couldn't take it any more and all she wanted to do was to go home. But where was home? They say home is where the heart is, but home has never met a vampire. Home to her was her family. Back in the day it would have been Klaus, but now she knew that wasn't an option and she didn't want that to be one. She wanted to be with Kol. Thats how it was before he got daggered. He had gotten daggered because of her... Because of her 'death'. It had been all her fault.

Her 'death' had so many consequences. And she could feel it, she could feel that she would have to face one of them soon.

They got back in that Goddamn SUV and headed off. As usual, Klaus didn't tell them where they were going, but to be honest, they could care less.

They pulled up to some building or another and went inside.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" asked Klaus.

"I can't believe this place is still here," replied Stefan as they all toured around it a bit.

"You got to be kidding me," said a black women with short white hair.

This caused Klaus to get all confident and smug. He smiled and said, "So a hybrid walks into a bar, says to the bartender-"

"Stop. You may be invincible, but that doesn't make you funny."

"I like you already," chimed in Red.

The women smiled back at her and then looked towards Stefan. "I remember you."

"Yeah. You're Gloria. Shouldn't you be..."

"Old and dead? Now if I die, who's going to run this place, huh?"

"Gloria's a very powerful witch," said Klaus.

"No dib," said Red to Klaus as she rolled her eyes. I mean, wasn't it kind of obvious considering Klaus said he was taking them to his favorite witch.

Gloria smiled at Red's remark and said, "I like you already. I can slow the aging down some. Herbs and spells. But don't worry, it'll catch up to me one day."

"Stefan, why don't you take Red and go and fix up a little something from behind the bar?" said Klaus.

"Yeah, sure thing." He then took off to the bar. Red followed, but not before she gave Klaus one of her signature stares.

"You look ravishing, by the way," said Klaus to Gloria.

"Don't," she put up her hand. "I know why you're here. A hybrid out to make more hybrids? That kind of news travels," she said as they took a seat across from one another. "But on another note, is that the girl?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know what I mean. The one that you were pining over in my bar for. It had been a good chunk of time since you thought she died, but you were still in pretty rough sha-"

"Yes. Yes, it's her," he said quickly.

Gloria just gave him an intriguing look and said, "So, she's the other hybrid."

"Well, that is really none of your concern. Now, is it? So what am I doing wrong? I broke the curse."

"Obviously you did something wrong. I'm surprised your girl didn't help you out."

"Does she know something?"

"Maybe... Maybe not. I'm not sure, but she's definitely smart enough to figure it out if she had to... Look, every spell has a loophole, but a curse that old... We'd have to contact the witch who created it."

"Well, that would be the original witch. She's very dead."

"I know. And for me to contact her, I'll need help. Bring me Rebekah."

"Rebekah. Rebekah is a bit preoccupied."

"She has what I need. Bring her to me."

Meanwhile, Red was making a drink and Stefan was snooping around the bar area. A picture caught him by surprise and he took it off the wall. No words could ever explain his state of shock.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Well, I told you, Stefan. Chicago's a magical place." A Magical place? Who's he kidding. He was so miserable in Chicago before he met Stefan.

"But this is me. With you."

Stefan took the picture with him and they left. They got back to the warehouse and the questions started up again. "This doesn't make any sense. Why don't I remember you?"

"You said it yourself, that time had a lot of dark holes."

"No, if you knew me, then why haven't you said anything?"

"I'm a little busy right now. Memory Lane will have to wait."

"What the hell is going on? Answer me." Stefan had grabbed Klaus' arm. That was a big no no and Klaus didn't seem too pleased.

He removed Stefan's hand and said, "Let's just say we didn't get off to a brilliant start. To be honest, I hated you..."

"Your sister. So I knew another original vampire."

"If you can't handle it, then don't ask," said Klaus as he walked over to the coffins.

"Think of it this way, Stefan." Red turned to him. "You made him quite jealous. He was still sad, angry, and alone, while you were causing his sister to fall in love with you."

"But weren't you the reason for him ending up like that?"

"Precisely. It's good to know that you know how to eavesdrop with that enhanced hearing." She smiled at him and then headed towards the coffins.  
There they all were in the coffins. Her family. She wanted so badly to open them and undagger them.

She got to the second coffin on her right, placed her hands on it, and right when she was about to open it... "Don't you even think about it," Klaus said sternly to her. "I know as well as you do that you want nothing more than them back. You're just like Elijah sometimes," he muttered the last part.

Klaus then opened Rebekah's coffin. He took a few moments to just remember. It caused him to smile and he gently touched her face.

Red appeared on Klaus' left and Stefan on his right side.

"I don't recognize her," said Stefan.

"Well, don't tell her that. Rebekah's temper is worse than mine," replied Klaus.

He put his hand on the dagger and just about to take it out, when... "What!" exclaimed Red.

"What now?" asked Klaus as he turned to face her.

"Please, don't do it." Her eyes were begging him with every ounce of breath she had left, for him not to wake her up. "I thought I could handle it, handle her, but I can't," she admitted.

"Oh, that's right. I remember now. She still thinks you're dead. Hummm. Imagine her surprise when she finds out that you've been alive this whole time. I don't know she'll ever forgive you." He smirked.

It was funny, because Rebekah sometimes had a hard time forgiving. But Klaus, he had forgiven Red so easily. He never had to think twice about forgiving her. She was alive and that was all that mattered to him. Forgiving others was a problem for him, but when it came to her, he could forgive her instantly. For him not to forgive her, she would have to do something way worse than something life changing.

Then, without a second thought, he pulled the dagger out of his sisters chest. Red was focused to mutter "Shit" under her breath. Klaus couldn't help but to grin a little, because he had won that round.

They had spent an hour waiting for Rebekah to wake up. Klaus hadn't left his spot by his sister, Stefan was nervously pacing all over the room trying to figure it all out, and Red, she was lying on the floor.

She was surrounded by all the coffins. She checked each one over and was trying to figure out which one Kol was in. 'It's the second one on the right. It has to be,' she told herself over and over again. It was like she was drawn to that coffin. It was the same one she was going to open earlier before he stopped her.

"Time to wake up, little sister. Any day now, Rebekah," said Klaus who still hadn't moved from his spot. "She's being dramatic."

"As usual," mumbled Red from the floor.

"Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on? I mean, you obviously want me here for a reason, right?" asked Stefan to Klaus.

"Well, you have many useful talents."

"Do I?"

"In fact, I learned some of my favorite tricks from you." But the reality was, he only learned some of his favorite tricks from Stefan. The others... he learned from Red. At times she had been an even worse ripper than Stefan. Sometimes her werewolf side would just take over her and she lost complete control. It had taken her to many lifetimes to master self control. But, struggles always find their way back.

"Get up, sweetheart. We're leaving," he said to her. He then proceeded out and Red and Stefan were of course forced to follow.

"I was your number one fan," said Klaus to Stefan as he turned the corner and come to a transport man.

"Why should I believe any of this?" asked Stefan

Klaus then turned to the transport man and compelled him. "When she wakes up, tell her to meet us at Gloria's bar. Then volunteer your carotid artery and let her feed until you die," he said to the man and once again he started walking with a purpose and they were forced to follow.

"Where are you going?"

"You think I'm lying, Stefan. You and I knew each other. You trusted me with one of your secrets and now I'm going to prove it to you."

"How?"

"We're going to your old apartment. But you, Red, you are going to go to Gloria's and wait for Rebekah."

"Great," she replied sarcastically. "I'll take angry Bekah over being suffocated by the likes of you any day."

She left the building and went in the opposite direction as Klaus and Stefan. This was just what she needed, some alone time. She just wanted some peace and quiet and some space from her sort of kind of husband.

She didn't mind the walk. In fact, the fresh air felt soothing and so was the normality. It had been a while since she had been to the Windy City. Actually, it wasn't even as windy as they tell you, because that's not why Chicago was named the windy city, that was all due to some writers. She hadn't been to the city since the same time Klaus had been there.

Just because they weren't together anymore or because she was suppose to be dead, didn't mean she had ever stopped caring. She had never stopped caring and as much as she wanted to believe that she could, she knew she couldn't. She had watch over him from afar, just to make sure he was okay. She never got to close and she was always care, because she knew what would happen to him if she gave him hope that she was alive or if she went to him. But, the truth... The truth was that it would have hurt her more if she had gotten closer. She knew that she would instantly fall for him all over again, and she couldn't allow herself to do that.

When she finally got to Gloria's, she walked right in and took a seat at the bar.

"Back already I see," said Gloria from behind the bar.

"Yup."

Then, before Red could even tell Gloria what she wanted she pulled out a bottle of bourbon and a glass. She filled the glass and left the bottle.

"How'd you-"

"Lets just say you have to same taste as a certain somebody else."

"Oh," she replied and looked down at her glass.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"But it's... How much do you know exactly?" she asked the witch.

"Lets just say that back in the twenties Rebekah would spend her time dancing with every man in my bar and her brother would just drink. One day, he told me that there was this girl. That he loved her more than his own existence, that he would do anything for her, and that he would do anything to get her back. That she was his wife and that she had left. He said that he was certain for years that she would come back any day, but she never did. Next thing he know, she was dead and he was never able to move on from her. It's quite a tragedy, don't you think?"

"Ugh. What am I going to do?" Red said before she downed her drink and Gloria refreshed it.

"Oh, that reminds me. I also recognized you. You would always come in here when he did. You would sit in the far shadows and just watch him."

"Damn, you're good," she said and took another sip of her drink. "But what am I suppose to do? Its all just gotten so out of control."

"To be honest, I can't tell you what to do. Whatever happens has to be because of your doing, not mine. Sorry, Honey. But, it's strange how as soon as Stefan showed up, he was happy. Don't you think?" But Red knew exactly why they hit it off. She only hoped that they never found out why.

She let out another, "Ugh." And then put her head on the table in frustration. She needed to get her shit together. But how? She was in a sense sleeping with the enemy. 'Okay then. Step one, stop sleeping in his arms and in his bed all together.' It was better that way, or at least that's what she kept telling herself over and over again. She told herself that it was worth the sleepless nights, nightmares, and shakes.

More and more people kept coming into the bar. Gloria was wiping the bar down when someone caught her eye causing her to speak. "Well, look what the wind blew in. Last I heard, you hated this place."

"Gloria. Damn! If I knew you were going to age like this, I would have stuck around." Red wasn't really listening, but as soon as she heard that voice, she was forced to freeze. 'Shit. Shit. Shit,' was all she would think. Once again, Damon was going to fuck something up.

"I always did like you better. But I see your brother is still running in the wrong crowd."

"You've seen him?"

"With Klaus. Bad combo." Very bad combo.

"You know where they went?"

"They'll be back here later tonight. They're out running a little errand for me."

"Gloria..." he said as she slid him his drink and he touched her hand. "Don't be a tease. What kind of errand?" he asked with what seemed to be seriousness in his voice.

"I don't think so. You may be cute, but you're still a vampire," she said and removed his hand, but she did give him a little head nod in Red's direction.

He smirked and took a seat next to her. "So, what brings you to the Windy City?" he asked her.

"I thought I told you to fuck off and let me handle it, Damon."

"You should know by now that I never listen."

"Cut the chit chat, Salvatore. I told you that I had everything under control and to stay away. So, what do you want?"

"You know exactly what I want. So tell me, what brings you here and where is the old guy and my bro?"

"Out... Who told you that we were here?"

"Who do you think?"

"Katherina."

"The bitch is still kicking."

"Well that's unfortunate. Damon, please tell me you're not here to try and get Stefan back. It won't work."

"Please, I have a better plan than then."

"You didn't. Did you?"

"Didn't what?"

"Please tell me that you didn't bring Elena here to try and reach Stefan's humanity!"

"Well... Maybe."

"Shit! Damon, you're so stupid! Where is she?"

"At Stefan's old place. Why?"

"Because that's where they want." Damon's face dropped. He was at a loss for words and he didn't know what to do. If he still had a heart, it would have stopped beating.

"What do we do?" he asked in a panic.

"Oh, no. No, there is no we. Get that straight. I tried to help you but you kept interfering. The only thing you can do is nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. If you barge in to get her you'll die. Wait it out a little and then go and get her. Then, you need to leave."

"I can't do that. I can't just leave. Elena needs to talk to Stefan."

"Then tell me the message and I'll relay it over to him."

"You know that's not the same."

"Fine then. What's your big master plan?"

"I distract Klaus and Elena talks to Stefan."

"That's it! That's your whole plan? Klaus is going to kill you!"

"That's where you come in." He leaned back in his chair. "Don't lie, I know you have some weird God only knows what history with him. From what I've concluded he trusts you or he did. I mean you're still alive, so I figure there must be a reason and I know you won't tell me why. So, all you have to do then is distract him for me."

"NO WAY!"

"Fine. Then just don't let him kill me."

"Fine, but after that you need to stay away. Promise me, Damon, that you'll stay away."

"I promise, I promise."

"Good. Now, go save her."

"Thank you." He then got up but she caught his arm.

"And Damon, try not to fuck this up."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said with his usual grin on his face. It was strange, but Damon and Klaus both seemed to grin at the same things and the same way. Weird...

Half an hour later, Red had finished the bottle. Sadly, she wasn't even close to being drunk. It really did take a whole lot to intoxicate someone of her origin and her age,

Klaus and Stefan strolled on into the bar. Klaus sat to her right and Stefan to his right.

"Come on love, you didn't save any for us," Klaus said to her, which earned him a glare.

"What can I say? I was thirsty."

Gloria then came over. "What can I get you guys?"

"Two beers," smiled Klaus.

"Make it three," said Red. This caused Klaus to look at her. She had drank a whole bottle of bourbon and now she wanted a beer?

"Two is fine, Gloria."

"You've gotta be joking?" Red said to Klaus. His comment had caused her to sit up and turn to face him.

"Oh, I never joke about alcohol. You should know that by now," he replied to her with a big fat smirk.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"Well, actually I can. You see you are my slave, servant, whatever you want to call it. So, I own you and I get to tell you what you can and cannot do." He smiled.

"But that doesn't mean you can just take away by alcohol!"

"Is it so hard to believe that I care about your well being and that I don't want you to get drunk?" he said, placing his hand over his heart. But did he really care? Or was he just playing his usual games?

"You know as well as I do that it takes a lot more than a bottle of bourbon and a beer to even make me dipse." Gloria then came over with three beers. "Thank you, Gloria. It's nice to know that some people still respect drink orders."

Klaus glared at Gloria, but before he could make some horrid comment she asked, "Where's Rebekah?"

"She'll be here. I can't just conjure her on demand," said Klaus and then he took a swig of his beer. Gloria left and Klaus looked to Stefan. "What's with you? I thought Chicago was your playground."

"So this is why you asked me to be your wingman? Because you liked the way that I tortured innocent people?"

"Well, that's certainly half of it."

"What's the other half?"

"The other half, Stefan, is that you used to want to be my wingman," said Klaus as he slid Stefan a shot, but not Red one. Stefan's face was in shock. His eyes told his whole story, because it's always in the eyes. Klaus lifted his glass to toast with Stefan. "To Friendship," he said and Stefan was forced to clink his drink with the monster and chug.

A bottle of alcohol and a lot of pain later...

"So I'm confused," stated Stefan who was on his billionth shot. "If we were such great friends, then why do I only know you as the hybrid dick who sacrificed my girlfriend on an altar of fire?"

"All good things must come to an end."

It had ended because of Mikael. Everything in Niklaus' life had ended because of Mikael. Mikael had killed Klaus' only son and his sister in law. And then, he thought Mikael killed his wife, his only true love, his only happiness. And after that, he had ruined Niklaus' only friendship in ages. What other option did Klaus have in the twenties but to compel Stefan? Maybe if he had done things differently, maybe if he had taken Stefan with him, then things would have ended up differently. Rebekah would never had gotten daggered, the Salvatore's would never had gotten messed up by Elena, and Elijah and Red would still be some place far away from Klaus, plotting his death for another hundred years or so.

"You compelled me to forget?" asked Stefan.

"It was time for Rebekah and I to move on. Better to have a clean slate."

"But why? You shouldn't have to cover your tracks... Unless you're running from someone."

"Storytime's over."

"Too bad," chimed in Red. "It was just starting to exciting."

"I need another drink. A real one," said Stefan and Klaus didn't even bother to object or offer to go with him. Maybe it was because of the mention of Mikael, the douchebag of all douchebags.

"You know," Klaus said to Red softly. "Considering how much you hate me and want me dead, you would have loved my reaction when Kol told me you were dead." He looked down at his empty drink and poured himself another glass.

"I don't hate you," she mumbled.

"Well, you've shown me otherwise, love," he said. His voice was full of hurt.

"That doesn't mean-" she cut herself off and was left with silence. "If you do want to know, I saw it, your reaction..."

"You were watching me. Why?"

"Just because we're not who or what we use to be, it doesn't mean I ever stopped caring about you. I always just wanted to make sure you were okay, I guess."

"Oh," he said softly. In a way, it was all starting to make sense to him. But, then again, nothing had been making sense lately.

She still cared for him deeply. She had never stopped. She had always made sure that he was okay. When she had decided to fake her own death, it was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do. But, she did it because she wanted for him to move on, to meet new people, and for him to live his life. But, he never moved on, he never met anyone else, and he never got to live his life. The closest to moving on and living his life he had ever come to was when he had met Stefan.

I guess all good things really do come to an end. But we must remember that even though they seem to end, sometimes they begin again.

"So you saw me dagger-"

"Yes," she said so softly that he questioned if he had actually heard her.

There was silence between the two, but it was interrupted shortly after with Damon joining them at the bar. He took a seat next to Klaus.

"I see they've opened the doors to the riff raff now," said Klaus.

"Oh, honey, I've been called worse," replied Damon.

"You don't give up, do you?" said Klaus to Damon as the bar cleared out and he twirled his little drink umbrella.

"Give me my brother back... You'll never have to see me again".

"Well, I am torn. You see, I promised Stefan I wouldn't let you die, but how many freebies did I really sign up for? And clearly you want to die, otherwise you wouldn't be here, so..."

"What can I say? I'm a thrill seeker," remarked Damon. They both smiled all evil villain like. But then, Klaus started to strangle Damon.

He stood up, while still strangling Damon and Red took that as her cue. "You know," she said as she got up. "I think I'm going to go out and get some air. Maybe even see what Stefan had gotten himself into. More like whom..."

"Seriously!" exclaimed Damon. "You're going to leave me with him?"

"Sorry, Damon," she said as she left the bar to find Stefan. She knew that Klaus wouldn't dare kill Damon. He had promised her. He knew that if he killed Damon then their deal was over and she wouldn't hesitate to leave. Klaus may try to scare Damon by coming close to killing him, but he wouldn't dare finish the job.

She went outside to the parking lot where she found Stefan. He was talking to Elena and she knew it was best to just let them talk. So, she hid in the shadows and eavesdropped.

"Klaus is obsessed with siring these hybrids," said Stefan. "The second he knows you're alive, he'll figure out why it's not working."

"Look, I know you're trying to protect me, but I can't let you do it. Come with me, Stefan, please," she begged him.

"And what do you expect if I do? Huh? It's never going to be the same, Elena," he argued and almost felt the need to shout at her to get the point across.

"I know that."

"I don't think you do. I've left bodies scattered from Florida to Tennessee. Innocent people. Humans."

"Lexi found you like this before. In the twenties, and... And she saved you."

"And you know what I did after that? I spent 30 years trying to pull myself together. To a vampire, that's nothing. To you? That's half your life." He wanted so badly for her to see the point, but she was too stubborn. Her feelings and emotions were blinding her from what was best at the time for him. And at the time, it was just best for Red to secretly look out for him. She couldn't do much at the time, but she was doing the best she knew how.

"I can't give up on you, Stefan."

"Yes, you can. It's done. That part of my life is done. I don't want to see you. I don't want to be with you. I just want you to go."

He just left her standing there in shock. She was drowning in disappointment and sorrow.

Stefan walked off back to the building, but he heard a noise from the alley. So, he decided to check it out first.

"It's touching. Really it is," said Red to him.

"What do you want," he snapped.

"Stefan," she got all serious. "You did the right thing."

"Really? Did I? Because it hurts. It hurts more than anything in the world. It feels like I just ripped my own heart out of my chest," he told her. His eyes were still filled with sorrow.

"It'll get better, I promise," she said and then hugged him.

"But how do you know?" he asked her and released her from the hug so he could look at her.

"Because I had to do something similar a long time ago. You just have to remember that it's for the best. It's worse to string people along... Come on lets get back to the dictator before he throws a fit." She gave Stefan a little smile and he was forced to smile back as they headed back.

After they went back inside, Klaus told them that they were leaving. They immediately got back in the car and drove off to the warehouse.

Klaus went straight to the coffins and noticed that his sister was gone and that the man was dead.

"Rebekah..." he called out to her. "It's your big brother. Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Without hesitation she came out of nowhere and stabbed her brother in his heart with the dagger. "Go to hell, Nik!" she spat at him.

Angrily he took the dagger out and dropped it to the floor. "Don't pout. You knew it wouldn't kill me."

"Yeah, but I was hoping it would hurt more."

"I understand that you're upset with me, Rebekah... So I'm going to let that go. Just this once. Brought you a little peace offering. You can come in." With that Stefan appeared before Rebekah.

"Stefan..." said Rebekah who was left in shock with a smile.

Klaus then walked towards Stefan. He put his right hand on him shoulder and compelled him, "Now you remember."

A wave of remembrance flashed over him as he suddenly remembered everything. "Rebekah," he said softly.

Stefan started walking towards Rebekah but when he got half way there Klaus said, "Stefan."

When he made eye contact with the beast, it all came back to him. Everything was flooding into his mind, leaving him in complete and utter shock. "I remember you. We were friends."

"We are friends," he replied to Stefan and put a hand on his shoulder once more. "Speaking of friends." He looked towards Rebekah. "I brought you another present. You're going to love this once," he told her with an evil look on his visage.

"Well, come on then. Show me," she demanded.

"You can come in now, love." Rufina then came forth. She walked slowly and she refused to look up. She just couldn't make eye contact with Rebekah.

"Red?" asked Rebekah. "You're-you're alive?" She was left in complete and utter shock. She couldn't move. She thought it was all a dream. Before anything else between the two happened, Klaus changed the subject. Red was thankful for that, because she was panicking on the inside.

"And now the reason you're here," Klaus said to his sister. "Gloria tells me you know how to contact the original witch."

"The original witch?" she asked.

"What do you have that Gloria needs?"

She touched her neck and when she realized her necklace wasn't there, she panicked. "Where's my necklace? What did you do with it? I never take it off!"

"I don't know. I didn't touch it."

"We need to find it, Nik. Now, I want it back!" she demanded.

"Tell me that's not what she needs, Rebekah!" he yelled at her as he shook her.

She pushed him off and began searching her coffin. When she couldn't find it she angrily flipped it over.

This was going to be a long night...

When Rebekah came back down to earth, Red would have to do some explaining. Rebekah was never the easiest person to explain things to.

**AN**

**So I know that this chapter had a lot of standard dialog going on, but that's only because that was more about the relationship between Stefan and Klaus.**

**But the next chapter... **

**I can assure you that it'll have some good Red and Rebekah scenes. ect...**

**How will Rebekah handle with Red lying to her?**

**And how will Rebekah handle the fact that what she thought was an epic love story between her brother and best friend... just stopped fizzling?...**

**Comments, complaints, concerns, ideas, their all welcomed.**

**Also, I wanted to thank Valkyrie for realizing and noting that my OC isn't some damsel in distress. Thank you for proving to me that there are normal people in this world.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	29. Chapter 29: It's Only the Beginning

_Chapter 29: It's Only the Beginning _

**Red's POV**

After Stefan and I suffered through both of the Original's breakdowns, we headed to a hotel of the night. Normally, Klaus would have made us stay at a motel in order to keep a low profile, but Rebekah was quite demanding.

Rebekah had barely said a word to me. In fact, she had only said four words to me. Once we had gotten into the car, she said absolutely nothing to me. At the hotel, I let her borrow some of my clothes, but still nothing. Not even a thank you. She just looked at me with disbelief and disappointment. But, what was I suppose to do? She was my sister inlaw and I could barely look at her. I was afraid of what she would think of me.

After I left Niklaus, I never visited her. I knew I should have, but I was scared. I knew she would never understand my reasoning for leaving. She only ever saw her brother and I as an epic love story. All of her love stories had been ruined, so it seemed as if she needed us. Like she needed us to be together forever. It felt like we were her hope. That as long as him and I remained together, she knew true love still existed.

When I faked my death, I did it not only to allow Klaus to move on, but also her. I was hoping, praying that they both would be able to let go of me. If I had ever visited her after I left her brother, then she most definitely would have tried to bring us back together.

We were all in small hotel rooms. None of us wanted to associate with the other at this point. Tempers were rising and tolerance was sinking. It was just best to keep everyone separated and it saved a lot of breath.

I couldn't sleep. It was already three in the morning and I just couldn't sleep. My thoughts were running around my head a mile a minute. I couldn't stop worrying, panicking, and just thinking. I tried to just lay there, and that worked for a little while. Eventually, I fell asleep for a short amount of time, but it didn't last long. I started to have nightmares and I was shaking uncontrollably. So, I just gave up on sleep.

It had started to drizzle outside, so I decided to watch it fall. I opened my window all the way. Then, I got the chair from the desk and placed it facing away from the window. I sat in the chair man style. I had one leg on either side of the side of the chair, rested my arms on the back of the chair, and just looked out. I felt calm, at peace, and I felt as if nothing could ever touch me. It was nice while it lasted.

Then, I heard my door knob begin to turn. I had stupidly forgotten to lock my door. The door slowly opened and a beam of light from the hallway struck the right side of my body. I didn't dare move or look behind me. I just stared out the window. The unknown shut the door slowly and came closer to me.

"Please, just go away," I said softly to the unknown. I knew it had to be either Stefan, Rebekah, or Niklaus. And I didn't want to talk to anybody, especially Rebekah.

"Why would I do that?" asked the man. "I just want to talk," he whispered. He pulled up the other chair and sat beside me.

"About what?" I mumbled into my arms.

"Yesterday."

"There's nothing to talk about, Klaus. Can't you just leave? I just want to be alone.'"

"If that is what you really want," he replied softly. From his voice it seemed that he was hurt. And through all that, he was still being respectful.

He stood up and just as he was about to walk away, I grabbing his wrist. "Stay, please?" I asked him. I wasn't quite sure why I wanted him to stay, but I did.

"Of course." He smiled sweetly at me and sat back down.

We didn't talk after that and the rain just seemed to stop. He never asked me any questions and I never insulted him. We just sat there and for some strange reason, that just seemed to be enough.

It was now twilight, the period between darkness and light. He silently got up and left. I knew then that he still respected my wishes. He knew that I didn't want else to assume things, So he just left.

Later on, Rebekah demanded that she needed a new wardrobe before she even thought about helping Klaus. Eventually, he gave in because she used the dagger guilt trick on him.

We went into a high end clothing store and Rebekah seemed to be repulsed by the length of everything. She was trying on her hundred dress and we were all ready to dagger her. I loved shopping, but she was starting to ruin it for me.

I was sitting with the guys, waiting for her to show us her next outfit. The manager came over to pour more champagne into Klaus' glass. As soon as he started smiling at her, I started mentally stabbing myself in the chest. For some reason, his mere smile at another women hurt me deep and I was about ready to strangle the both of them.

"There has to be more to this dress," said Rebekah in her ugly short, black dress.

"There's not," replied Klaus.

"So women in the 21st century dress like prostitutes, then. You know, I got dirty looks for wearing trousers."

"You wore trousers so women today could wear nothing."

"And what is this music? It sounds like a cable car accident."

"It's dance music," said Stefan.

"People dance to this?"

"Hmm."

"Are we done?" asked Klaus.

"And why are you so grumpy?" asked Rebekah.

"I needed one thing from you for my witch to find out why my hybrids are dying, one thing. Your necklace. And you lost it."

"I didn't lose it. It's just been missing for 90 years," said Rebekah and I wanted no part in this discussion. I just wanted to leave, because Klaus once again refused to let me have any alcohol. What an ass hole. Rebekah looked at Stefan to ask his opinion. "So what do you think?" Heaven forbid she actually talked to me and asked me my opinion. And to think, I'm actually a girl with a fashion sense and yet she still wouldn't talk to me.

"I like it," he said but as usual she still didn't seem satisfied. "What? I said I like it."

"I can always tell when you're lying, Stefan," said Rebekah as she headed back into the dressing room.

Klaus, Stefan, and I just kind of gave each other 'help us' looks and shook our heads.

"Nice one, good work," said Klaus to Stefan.

I still wanted no part in this. I didn't want Rebekah to be given another reason to hate me.

"You're the one that pulled the daggerout of her," replied Stefan.

"I heard that," yelled Rebekah from the dressing room.

"All right. I'm going to get some fresh air," said Stefan who then stepped outside and Klaus poured himself another drink.

I instantly picked up Stefan's glass and chugged the rest of his champaigne. Klaus of course gave me a dirty look, but it was worth it.

Rebekah then came out of the dressing room in a lovely blue dress. "So, what do you think, Nik?" she asked.

"Honestly, Rebekah, I could careless. It looks fine. Now, can we go?" asked Klaus.

"We most certainly can not! Can't you just be honest and tell me how it looks?"

"It looks absolutely amazing on you, Rebekah. It flatters your figure nicely and the color goes great with your complexion," I told her. I of course was being truthful.

She just seemed irritated by my presents. She glared at me and said, "Nobody asked you."

She turned sharp on her heels and was about to walk back into the dressing room when I sped over and stopped her. "Is this really how it's going to be?" I asked.

"Move out of my way," she growled.

"No. Now, be an adult for two seconds and sit down so we can talk about this."

"Rebekah, dear sister, I would sit down if I were you. We wouldn't want to make a scene now would we?" Klaus said firmly.

"Fine," she huffed and took the seat on the other side of the coffee table from Klaus and I. "Well?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know. I didn't think I was going to get this far," I admitted.

"You can start by explain to me how you're actually alive."

"I faked it. I was hoping you two would finally move on and forget me if I died." I lowered my head down and just stared at my feet. I really just wasn't sure what to say, but I figured I should start with the truth.

"And you honestly believed that would work?" Rebekah almost shouted.

"At the time it seemed like it would."

"I can't believe you never visited me once. You made no effort to contact me whatsoever after you left Nik! I was sure that you would at least write me a letter. But, apparently you were too caught up living with Kol to care." She was angry, really angry.

"You don't think I wanted to not only visit you, but to also live with you? I wanted to. But, I picked Kol because I knew he wouldn't push!"

"Push you to do what?" she snapped.

"To go back Niklaus!" There was a moment of silence. "Look, Rebekah, I didn't want to go back to him. I knew that you would push me to every chance you got. I wanted a fresh start, and I knew you wouldn't be able to respect that."

"I would have respected that. I wouldn't have pushed," she protested. Klaus and I just kind of gave each other the 'she's lying to herself again' look. "Okay, fine. But what's the deal with you two now?" she asked.

"There is no deal, sister," said Klaus.

"Then, why are you both in the same room?"

"Hey. I didn't want to be her." I put up my hands in my defense.

"Then why are you?" she asked me.

"I had no choice," I said slowly, just to make sure she heard me clearly.

"There's always a choice." She glared at me. At the time, I didn't know why she cared so much. It never made sense to me why Niklaus and I together would even matter to her.

Klaus took the opportunity of silence to chime in. "She tried to kill me. Oh, then, she got in a bit of a jam and was force to come to me for help." He smiled. "Which lead to her becoming my servant until our deal is over."

"You tried to kill him!" She was definitely angry now. "You know what?" She stood up and shot me her dirtiest look. "I am not speaking to you until you two get back together!" she shouted at me and then went to change her clothes.

"Good. Then, I'll never have to speak with you ever again!" I shouted.

Klaus just kind of raise and eyebrow at me and I glared at him.

"You really think you can go forever without speaking to her?" he asked me.

"I've done it before for five hundred year and I can do it again." I made sure she could hear me.

By the time Rebekah finally was finish shopping, we headed to Gloria's. Stefan still wasn't back yet. So, I sent him a text to meet us there and too hurry. I was dying with all this Original bullshit.

Klaus was at the bar drinking and Rebekah was on top of the bar. So, I decided to stay as far away from her as possible. I had taken all of the chairs off of the top of one of the small tables and just laid there on my back. My feet were dangling back and forth. I let all my hair dangle, as well. I felt as if someone was watching me, like Klaus was staring at me. But, I just chose to ignore it.

I had to admit, Rebekah looked good in her new outfit, but I looked better.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Stefan showed up.

"You left us," pouted Rebekah. Obviously he left us. I would leave us too if I could.

"Yeah, sorry. Retail therapy was making my head explode," said Stefan as he walked down the few steps to Gloria who was getting her witch on for Klaus.

"Tell me about it," complained Klaus and I at the same time. Oh no. That was not cool. I did not enjoy saying the same things at him. At least, not anymore.

"What's she doing?" asked Stefan who looked towards Gloria.

"She's failing," answered Klaus.

"It's hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on," said Gloria in frustration.

"So use me. I only wore it for a thousand years," answered Rebekah who finally got off of the bar.

"See? Now this one offers a solution."

"That's a first," I mumbled.

"Shut it. I heard that," snapped the bitch at me.

"That was the point," I replied smartly.

She made no effort to even try to think of a snappy comeback towards me and sat on Gloria's table instead. Honestly, what was with her lately and sitting on top of stuff.

"All right, give me your hand, sweetheart," Gloria said towards Rebekah. Rebekah gave her her hand.

"She's, uh, she's looking for the necklace, huh?" asked Stefan, but no one answered him.

"I can sense something," stated Gloria and Stefan started to get worried. I wondered why though, because there was no way that the witch would just be able to find the necklace.

The witch continued to chant and then when she stopped she said, "I found it."

"So where is it?" asked Rebekah.

"It doesn't work like that, doll. I get images. There's a girl with her friends..."

"Yes, a dead girl with dead friends, if I don't get my necklace back."

"Stop being dramatic for two seconds. It's just a necklace," I told her.

"Last time I checked-" started Klaus. "That necklace was the only thing standing in the way of me making my hybrids. So, it's not just any necklace."

"Oh come on," I told him. "We both knew that even if you can't contact the stupid witch, that eventually you will somehow find a way to make your stupid hybrids." It just always worked out for him like that. No matter what happened, he always seemed to get his way.

"About the necklace?" Rebekah asked Gloria.

"Well, I'll have to dive back in to get the details."

"So dive," replied Klaus.

"I need more time." Klaus then got really close to her. "And space," she added. "You're harshing my ju-ju."

"We can wait." He smiled.

"I'm sure you can. But that's not what I asked."

"Hey." Stefan patted Klaus on the back. He had recently started to try and be all buddy buddy with Klaus and it was most definitely showing. "Hey, you know, why don't we just come back later. I'm hungry anyway. I'll let you pick who we eat."

We all just kind of looked at each other and left.

We ended up being back at the warehouse. Klaus was sitting on the couch and Stefan in the chair and they were drinking from two girls. Rebekah was finished with hers and sitting on a crate. I wasn't that hungry. So, I was just awkwardly sitting on the crate next to her.

"My girl's dead. I'm bored," complained Rebekah.

Klaus looked at Stefan as he let go of his girl for a second. "You weren't kidding about being hungry."

"Yeah. It's been a long day," replied Stefan.

"Try being related to her," said Klaus as he laughed.

"You're being mean. And why are you being mean? You used to love me," blabbed Rebekah. If I had a sharp object near me at the moment, I most definitely would have stabbed her for all of her whining.

"It's been 90 years, Rebekah. Give him a minute," replied her brother.

"Why are you taking his side?"

"Because, my dear sister, I feel pity for any man who doesn't give you what you want."

"Will you stop making me out to be a brat? I am not a brat!" Oh, she was. But, it was really just because she was alone.

"A thousand years of life experience says otherwise," said Klaus and I was force to laugh at the truth.

"Well, you're no picnic, either," I said to Klaus. Was I in a sense defending Rebekah? Yes, but I figured after everything that she's been through that I owed her at least that much.

"I mean, I've only spent one summer with you and I feel like I want to blow my head off," said Stefan and Rebekah and I both laughed.

"Fantastic," said Rebekah who was finally smiling. Sometimes she wasn't so bad. Back in the day, she even use to me fun and nice at the same time.

Stefan pushed the girl off of himself and got up. "I need to go," he said and left. Klaus didn't even question him. It appeared that Klaus actually trusted Stefan. But, could that actually be for really or was he just playing his usual games?"

"Where's he going?" asked Rebekah.

"To write a name on a wall. It's a long story," answered Klaus.

After an hour, Klaus decided that it was time to check on Gloria and he decided to make me go with him.

When we got there, Klaus barged in to make an entrance. I just slowly followed behind.

The place was empty. There was no Gloria and it seemed as if she had simply cleared out. We walked around the room to check it out and I saw something. It appeared to be a single drop of blood that had been missed. Instantly, I put foot over it and called over to Klaus. "Well, she's not here. So, What's the plan?" I asked.

He began to pace back and forth in an angry, dramatic way with his hands behind his back.

"It doesn't make any sense. Why would she just clear out?" he asked me.

"You really want me to tell you why or should I sugar coat it for you?"

"Just tell me."

"If you took a moment to assess the situation, then you would know. Think about it... Do you really think she wanted to help you? There's no way that our presence could have been messing with her magic. Trust me, I use to be able to do spells in anybodys presence no problem. She was helping you because she was forced to. You gave her a window of opportunity to split and that witch isn't stupid. She knows how dangerous you are and took her chances on running. Duh..." From the looks of the situation, that's what I concluded. But, I had a feeling there was more to the story then met the eye.

"Ugh!" he yelled in frustration and flipped the closest table.

"Come on," I said as I gently placed my hand on his arm. "Lets just go. I promise I know how to make you feel better before we get back to the warehouse."

"How?" he asked.

I went to the bar and grabbed the oldest bottle of liquor that I could find. "With this," I said showing him the bottle. He gave me a faint smile and sat down at the bar. "Do you want to drink straight from the bottle or do you have manners?" I asked him. His smile grew a little bigger with my comment towards him and I knew my job was done. I didn't knew why, but it made me happy to see him happy. I didn't want it to, but it did.

"I still have proper manners," he replied and I poured two glasses. I was expecting some type of protest or insult from him for pouring myself a drink as well. But, there was no insult and there was no protest. We just sat there and drank.

When we had both drank enough, we went back to the warehouse. There, we found Rebekah and Stefan together.

"Gloria's gone. She's cleared out. We need to find a new witch immediately," said Klaus who had stopped walking all of a sudden. He looked at Stefan and Rebekah and firmly asked, "What's going on?"

"Something's wrong. He was asking about Mikael. He's not with us, Nik. I can sense it," spat out Rebekah. 'Shit.' Stefan was just like Damon sometimes. He was going in too deep and it had landed him in deep shit, Klaus shit to be exact.

"She's wrong. Klaus..." Stefan tried to defend himself and shook his head. But, before Stefan had any further chance to protest. Klaus blurred over to him a snapped his neck. Rebekah smiled at her victory with her instincts, but her smile was soon replaced with shock when Klaus didn't hesitate to snap her neck as well..

"And then their were two," I said.

"Oh, don't look so glum. It's not a never nice look on you anyways. Look at it this way, now you get me all to yourself." He smirked.

"Great. Just what I needed," I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes.

"Just go get somebody to put the coffins back in the truck. Then, throw Stefan in the back. I'll take care of Rebekah." He picked up Rebekah and put her in the backseat of the truck, while I found some men to move the coffins.

Once everything was all packed up, we got in the truck and of course he didn't let me drive.

I lounged back in my chair with my feet up on the dashboard and asked, "Was that really necessary? At that point you might as well have just snapped my neck as well."

"It was absolutely necessary. Rebekah... Well, I just didn't want to have to listen to her for a whole car ride and Stefan was getting too involved.,. And if I knocked you out then I wouldn't have anybody to keep me company during this long drive. Believe it or not, you are good company when you want to me, love,"

"Klaus, she's your sister. You can't just keep tossing her aside like she's nothing."

"Like what you do to me?"

"That's not the same and you know it. I told you straight up that I wanted nothing to do with you. The rest is your fault."

"Humm. Maybe I should have snapped your neck instead."

"Well, I wish you had, but we both know you're not fast enough to do that anyways," I told him.

"Just keep telling yourself that, sweetheart." He smiled.

After that we didn't really talk. We spent most of the car ride in silence. I knew he wanted to talk, but I also knew he knew that I wasn't in the mood to talk. Eventually, he couldn't take the silence anymore and the questions started.

"Do you believe Rebekah?" he asked.

"Do I trust her instincts? Yes, but she has been stuffed in a coffin for ninety years."

"But, is Stefan still holding onto his old life?"

"You can't just let go of something like that. You can try and you can tell yourself that you've let go, but it's just not that easy," I told him from experience.

After that, he didn't say anything to me the rest of the car ride. It was as if he couldn't handle the truth or he just didn't want to. But, it was just nice to have him shut up for a change.

When we arrived at our destination, we got out of the car and into the trunk to wake up Stefan. We decided to let Rebekah continue to sleep it out in the actual car part of the car for now, because neither of us wanted to deal with her at the moment.

"Well, go on. Wake him or something," Klaus ordered.

"What a baby," I mumbled and slightly nudged Stefan with my foot. Klaus and I both sat on coffins opposite each other and watch as Stefan woke up. I, once again, felt a pull towards the coffin that I sat on.

Stefan sat up in a panic and backed up towards the wall farthest from Klaus. Klaus just gave Stefan his usual devious, intrigued, questionable look.

"Just give me a chance to explain myself, ok?" asked Stefan.

"No need." He continued to smile. "I'm not mad, I'm just curious. Rebekah seems to think you're holding onto something. A piece of your old life. The thing is, she's got flawless instincts, borderline supernatural. So I thought-" He leaned in closer. "I would check it out. See for myself what it is you've been hiding." Klaus then got up and opened the truck door. Stefan was blinded a tad my the light and put his hand up to block it. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Stefan."

It felt like the journey was never going to end, but that was because in the reality it had only just begun.

**AN**

**I could really use some feedback, if you don't mind. Good or bad, I'll take it.**

**I feel like this story is really lacking something (okay, a lot). so if you could by any chance let me know how to fix it... Then that would be great.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	30. Chapter 30: Why Do I Even Care?

_Chapter 30: Why Do I Even Care?_

**Red's POV**

Klaus did some recon on what happened in the little town while we were gone. When he found out that Elena was still alive he was furious. He spent all afternoon snapping Stefan's neck, but come nightfall he had other plans.

He had decided that he was going to intrude on senior prank night. He gave me two options: stay in the truck with Rebekah and join him later, or join him now. I picked the second option. At the time, I felt just a tad safer dealing with a pissy Klaus than a bratty Rebekah. I knew that Klaus wouldn't hurt me, at least not on purpose, and that Rebekah would probably try to hurt me emotionally as well as physically. She had been glaring at me all afternoon.

It was dark, so there was no need to be that stealthy to get to the school and we just walked.

"Are you going to tell me your plan or should I just assume?" I asked him.

"Did you know?" he asked me rather quickly.

"Know about what?"

"The doppelganger being alive?"

"Would it have made a difference?" I asked him, but he didn't respond. "No, it wouldn't have. Don't you get it? No matter how the situation looks or what happens, you always find out in the end. You didn't need to know and I wasn't obligated to tell you."

"As your husband, I think you were obligated to tell me," he said rather loudly.

"Hush and don't pull that husband crap with me right now! You're not together. You need to get over it. Besides, do you really think that the witch would have made it that easy for you to create hybrids? I know I wouldn't have. Maybe Elena wasn't suppose to die. Maybe the witch wanted you to kill her, because she wanted you to fail a be alone forever." I was out of breath and expecting some snappy comeback. But, I never got one, because he seemed to get lost in his thoughts.

I couldn't let Elena die. If she died then Stefan would never recover from that. He would be a forever lost cause and I couldn't allow for that to happen. But, maybe the witch had wanted for Klaus to kill the doppelganger. Maybe I was right and she was the key to turning his hybrids. I didn't want to be right, but I also didn't want to be wrong. I didn't want for the girl to die for the sake of Stefan. Either way, Klaus seemed to walk into the school with an open mind.

We heard Elena come towards us and we hid on the other side of the double doors. She was laughing, but that all changed when she turned the corner and came face to face with her worst nightmare, Klaus.

"There's my girl," said Klaus.

"Klaus!" she stated with complete and utter fear in her eyes. I felt bad for her, but at that moment, there was nothing that I could do.

She turned to run, but she ended up bumping into me. "You're supposed to be dead. What are we going to do about that?" I asked. So far, I thought I was at least putting up a good act.

"Grab her. We're going," said Klaus and I grabbed Elena by the arm.

We followed Klaus down the hallway. She looked at me with pleading eyes. "It's going to be okay, I promise," I mouthed to her and she nodded.

Klaus ended up pick up the pace and taking Elena from me. He was pulling her with great force down the hallway. He claimed that I was walking too slow, but he just liked to be in control. "You put a rather large kink in my plans, sweetheart. The whole point of breaking the curse and becoming a hybrid was to make more hybrids. I haven't been able to do that. Now my bet is, it has something to do with the fact that you're still breathing," he spat rather quickly at her.

"If you're going to kill me, just do it!" she snapped right back.

"Not until I know I'm right. But I do have ways of making you suffer." At least I bought her a little bit of time with the whole 'you may actually need her' bit.

We entered the gym and some students were there making their pranks. Klaus still had Elena tightly in his grasp when he said in his horrible American accent, "Attention, seniors. You have officially been busted. Prank night is over. Head on home." Two people seemed to catch his eye. He got closer to them and said in his normal sexy voice, "You two. I remember you."

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" asked the girl.

"Oh, don't worry, I wasn't in my right head last time we met," he said. He then compelled her. "Lift your foot up, please, Dana." And she did.

"Klaus..." I warned because I knew actually where he was going with this game, but he looked at the boy and said, "If she drops her foot, Chad, I want you to beat her to death. Understood?" The boy just nodded in fear.

"Don't, Klaus. You don't have to hurt anybody," I told him, but he would have none of it.

"Oh, come on, love. Of course I do. Besides, I thought you loved this game." His face widened at me with his usual smile placed infront. I went and sat in the bleachers and not one minutes later he gave me orders. I just couldn't get a break. "Red, love, I need you to do me a favor now." He was trying to be charming, but he was being bossy. "Go call Rebekah and tell her to bring me that Lockwood fellow. He must be around be here somewhere."

Elena gave me pleading eyes not to, but I had no choice. I reluctantly pulled out my phone and dialed her. I knew the only reason he made me call her was so that he could watch the tension between his sister and I. "Rebekah..." I started and gave her the stupid orders. The only words she spoke to me were, "Whatever." And then, she hung up on me.

"She said ten, twenty minutes tops," I lied. I knew he had heard exactly what Rebekah had said in reply, but I wasn't going to allow for him to try and get to me or beat me at my own game.

"Very well then," he replied and he almost seemed disappointed.

Dana continued to stand there on one foot, struggling and panicking, and Chad just stood next to her. What Klaus was doing was beyond cruel. Had I enjoyed this type of fun before? Yes, but I was a completely different person then.

"Keep it up," Klaus ordered Dana.

"Where's Stefan? What did you do to him?" asked Elena who was standing next to Klaus.

"Stefan's on a time out," replied the Monster.

Elena then turned around to me. I was still high up in the bleacher wanting no part of this. "And you," she said. "I thought you were on our side." I couldn't exactly tell if she was actually frustrated with me or if she was just keeping up the act. So, I decided to keep up my act.

"Well, maybe if you were able to keep Damon on a leash, then we wouldn't be in this situation now, would we? But, he probably never told you that I was trying to save him." I raised an eyebrow at her and waited for a response, but she just looked down at the ground and turned around.

Suddenly, the double doors opened and the witch and the human friend appeared.

"Bonnie, get out of here!" screamed Elena like the pathetic little child she was.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up. Now we can get started," said Klaus, who was now in front of Bonnie. He then looked over towards Dana. "Ah, Dana, why don't you relax? You and Chad sit tight." Then, he looked back to Bonnie. "I assume you're the reason Elena's still walking around alive?" he asked rather quickly. Did he sound sexy when he said that? Absolutely, but that wasn't suppose to be the point. I needed to let go. I needed to stop allowing him to have a certain influence over me. The sexual type of influence is always worst to shake off, but it can be done.

"That's right. If you want to blame someone, blame me," she told him straight out. But, to be honest, there were so many different people one could blame. She was trying to be a martyr and it was just too sickening and overrated, even for my taste.

"Oh, there's no need for blame, love. Just your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects. And since you caused the problem, I'm going to have you find the fix," he smiled a tad at the end of his statement.

Lucky, Luck, guess who decided to join the party? None other than my bitchy sister in law and the werewolf. What could possible go wrong?

"Get off of me!" shouted the wolf.

"Hush now," Rebekah told him as she brought him to the mini circle that had formed near Klaus.

"I'd like you all to meet my sister Rebekah. Word of warning... She can be quite mean."

"Don't be an ass," she said to him and threw Tyler in his arms.

"Leave him alone!" protested Elena. Wow, she really had gotten stupider.

"I'm going to make this very simple." He grabbed Tyler and brought him to the center of the gym. "Every time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire hybrid, they die during the transition. It's quite horrible, actually." He then bit his wrist and shoved his blood down Tyler's throat. Poor guy, but what was I suppose to do? "I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Bonnie. And for Tyler's sake... You better hurry," he said with a smile on his face as he snapped Tyler's neck, thus killing him. Elena, Matt, and Bonnie all stood there in shock, while Klaus and Barbie sat in the the bleachers.

"Do something!" yelled Elena to me from afar. I didn't respond, I just looked down. There was nothing I could do.

"He killed him," state the human who was next to Tyler's body.

"He's not dead. Klaus's blood will turn him into a vampire," said Elena.

"And if Bonnie's successful," started Klaus as him and Rebekah got down from the bleachers. "He'll live through his transition. Go on, then. Go and fetch your grimoires. and enchantments and what-not. I'll hold on to Elena... For safe-keeping," he said and grabbed her tightly.

The witch and the human then left and Rebekah took her next moments to be a bitch. She got right next to Elena's face and scared her when she spoke. "So this is the latest doppelganger. The original one was much prettier."

"Enough, Rebekah. Take the wolf boy elsewhere, would you?" commanded Klaus and she grabbed Tyler by the arm and dragged him off.

"Just ignore her. Pety little thing," he whispered in the doppelganger's ear. I didn't want it to, but him getting all up in her face and whispering things in her ear was starting to get to me, and he knew it.

Elena went over to comfort Chad and Dana, once Klaus released his iron grip on her and sat down next to me.

"You know, you don't have to be such an ass to get the job done," I told him in a hushed tone so Elena wouldn't hear.

"Ah, but what would be the fun in that, Love?" he asked. "What happened to you?"

"Excuse me?" I asked him.

"You use to be fun," told me in his duh voice.

"Well, you use to be nice." I looked down at my hands and started picking at my nail polish.

"Is that suppose to make us even?" he asked.

"We'll never me even," I stated.

Five minutes went by before he got over my comment and asked me, "Any new theories on my hybrids? I mean, we wouldn't want that poor Lockwood fellow to die now, would we?"

I was sick and tired of his games. I didn't want for anymore innocent people to die. I only wished to live out my life in peace, so I told him. "The Original witch hated you and she didn't want you to make any hybrids, right?" He nodded. "And Elena was suppose to die in the sacrifice, right?" I asked him.

"What's your point?" he asked me.

"If she didn't want you to create any hybrids, then what would be the one way to ensure that you didn't? What would be her fail safe?"

"To kill the only thing that would be capable of turning them during the sacrifice." He smiled. "I knew there was a reason I was keeping you around, Sweets... But, for fun, let us just see how far the little Bennett witch can get." He then flashed me another smile.

Elena was still comforting Dana when Stefan entered the gym. He entered slowly and this seemed to catch Klaus' eye.

"Stefan..." stated Elena as she stood up. She really was hopeless, as well as helpless.

"Klaus," stated Stefan.

"Come to save your damsel, mate?" asked the true Monster.

"I came to ask for your forgiveness. And pledge my loyalty."

"Well, you broke that pledge once already."

"Elena means nothing to me anymore," Stefan's voice had risen in volume and Klaus and I both knew right off of the bat that Stefan was lying. "And whatever you ask of me... I will do," he spoke his last sentence in a hushed tone.

"Fair enough. Let's drink on it," said Klaus as he jumped down to the gym floor and walked over towards the center. "Kill them." He pointed to the two humans who were cowering in fear. "What are you waiting for? Kill them." He was testing Stefan and it was sickening. If he knew the truth, he wouldn't be putting Stefan through this.

"No! Stefan, don't. He's not going to hurt me. He already said..." started Elena, but Klaus backhanded her so hard that she fell to the floor. I didn't want to say that she deserved it, but to be honest, she really hadn't been helping the situation.

Stefan growled. He let out his fangs and rushed over to Klaus. He really hadn't thought his plan through enough, because next thing anyone knew, Klaus had him by the throat.

"She means nothing to you?" asked Klaus in a raised tone. "Your lies just keep piling up."

"Let her go! I'll do whatever you want, you have my word!"

"Your word doesn't mean much. I lived by your word all summer, during which time I never had to resort to this..." He began to compel the poor Salvatore. "Stop fighting."

"Don't do this, don't do this," begged Stefan with his eyes full of sorrow.

"I didn't want to. All I wanted was your allegiance. Now I'm going to have to take it."

"Don't...Don't..." protested Stefan again. But, it was no use and I knew that even if I did speak up, nothing could save him.

"You will do exactly as I say when I say it. You will not run, you will not hide, you will simply just obey," compelled Niklaus.

"No. Stefan!" shouted the slut.

"Now kill them. Ripper."

Stefan began to vamp out and rushed over towards Dana to feed on her. I just couldn't take Klaus' sickening way anymore, at least not today. So, I want against him. I blurred over towards him and stabbed him in the stomach with my pocket knife when he turned around to face me.

He groaned in pain as he pulled it out and asked, "Did you honestly think that would do anything?"

"Nope, but I figured it was more effective than yelling stop like Elena." I flashed him a little smirk.

"Are you going against me all of a sudden, Love?" He asked as he got real close to my face. I was starting to feel just a tad uncomfortable.

"Don't I always?" I spat back at him as I looked directly into his eyes, but they were blocked. I couldn't see right through them like I use to be able to. He had closed himself off from me, put his shields up, and turned it off. Was it because he couldn't handle the truth? Or because he was afraid to? It seemed like he wanted to handle us, but just didn't know how to anymore. We had both changed so much that I didn't think it was worth trying, but he seemed to think that it was worth it, that is was always worth it. And I could never figure out why, even though the answer had always been standing right in front of me.

"Stand down," he growled at me.

"Leave Stefan alone," I growled right back at him and stood my ground.

"You know I can't do that. Now, I'm going to give you one last chance, Love. Stand down!" he spat at me.

"Go back to Hell!" I spat right back.

"Your choice," he said gentle before grabbing me so we were back to chest. I was quick, but he was quicker. His right arm was firmly around my neck as he brought his lips so they were just barely brushing up against my left ear. He whispered ever so softly into my ear, "We could have been great... Again." He allowed his lips to continue lingering near my ear.

"Just die already!" I choked out.

"Oh, and I told you I was faster," he said confidently into my ear before he bloody, fucking snapped my neck! Ass hole.

Next thing I knew, I was waking up in a car.

Slowly, but surely, I started to gain feeling back and I woke up. I groaned a little because of my sore neck. I felt comfortable for some reason, despite the neck problem. When I opened my eyes, I realized why I was comfortable and moved in a panic to the window on my side of the car.

"Don't freak out on me now, Love. I rather enjoyed your presence all over me." He smiled and I was forced to roll my eyes.

I then sat in my seat normally and looked out of the window.

He was being silent and I couldn't take it, it just left off. So, I broke it. "Okay. Cut the crap and just tell me what happened already." It was strange, he didn't reply, and he didn't smirk, he just drove in silence. It was as if he was actually sad. I knew I was going to regret this later, but I had to ask. I felt obligated to, not because he was my husband but because I genuinely did care. "What's wrong," I asked him.

"Hmm? Sorry, Love. What did you say?" He actually seemed to be confused and maybe even lost in his thoughts.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. And truth be told, I really did care if he was okay.

"Why do you even care?" he asked me in a low tone. His words had wounded me and maybe even cut me a little. How could he even think that I didn't care? I had been married to him for a thousand years, you can't just get over that. It's impossible to simply forget and stop caring about the ones you love, especially after everything that we had been through.

"I think the really question is, 'How can I ever stop caring?'" I was being truthful and completely open with him, and it felt like he was being the same.

"I'm sorry," he stated. I could tell that he was being genuine and was beginning to open up like a book to me once more. But, for how long would this book stay open? That was the real question. "I-I," he was struggling with his words. I could tell that he had been practicing in his head what he wanted to say while I was sleeping. "I shouldn't have snapped your neck and for that I am truly sorry." He was hurt and the funny thing was, he had hurt himself. It was nothing that I had done and he only had himself to blame.

"It's okay," I told him.

"No, it's not," he told me and I could see the pain in his eyes. His eyes had all of a sudden opened up and I could see right through him once more. I could see Nik, not Klaus, but Nik. And I knew, that he was still in there. "I shouldn't have done it. I was just... I am-"

I cut him off by shush him softly. "Why don't we just talk about this later?" I suggested and he nodded his head ever so slightly.

I knew exactly what he was going to say, but I was too afraid to hear him say it. I understood the effect he had on me. If he had finished his sentence and told me how he was and still is afraid to loose me, I don't think I could've handled myself. I didn't want to be that sad, pathetic, little girl who melted right back into the monster's arms at the drop of an apology or a few caring words.

I guess, in the end, I was the one who was really afraid. Afraid to love once more, to be lost even for a short while, but most of all, I was afraid that I would break my own heart, like I had done so many times before.

**AN**

**I think when Klaus yells at Stefan to turn it off that is one of the sexiest things ever. Thoughts?**

**Thank God that we are now moving to a nice little original scene time.**

**I really do hate keeping it all standard, but I'm just afraid to go off sometimes because I don't want to fuck everything up and what not.**

**I NEED YOUR PEOPLES THOUGHTS!**

**So help a girl out, please!**

**And review and maybe even favorite or follow, because I know people read it but don't follow, which is just wack.**

**Also, so next part is going to be their little adventure away from Mystic Falls/before homecoming and what not.**

**Ideas? Thoughts? Comments? Anything really...**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	31. Chapter 31: Isolation

_Chapter 31: Isolation_

**Red's POV**

We spent what seemed to be forever stuck with one another in the car. The direction we were heading in was unknown to me. I didn't care, I just wanted my service to be over.

The sky was pitch black, but I could still make out some grizzled storm clouds in the distance. I got the strange feeling that they were following me as it began to lightly drizzle.

We turned down a long, winding, dirt road. The road was isolated from the rest of society and surrounded by trees. At the end of the secluded road was what seemed to be an abandoned house. The house was nothing fancy, but it was still big. It was painted all white and the paint was chipping. The shutters were black and one window was missing them. In front of the house, stuck in the dead grass was a foreclosure sign.

I got out of the car slowly and Klaus followed shortly behind as we headed towards the door of the house.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on yet?" I asked the semi panicked man. He had seemed on edge for a while now and I was starting to worry.

"How bout I just give you an outline for now and the details later? Damon has leverage," he stated.

"What kind of leverage could he possibly have?"

"Mikael," he spoke in a hushed tone as if it was a deadly iniquity.

"What?" I stared at him in disbelief. "That's impossible. I made sure he was taken care of. He's bluffing. He has to be."

We got to the door and Klaus knocked a few times to see if anyone was there, but there was no reply and there was no owner so we walked right in.

"I hope he is," he told me.

"You ran," I stated to his face as we headed up the stairs. "You got scared and you ran. And you left your own sister there along with your sidekick." I stopped and stared at him in disbelief as I got to the top of the stairs. He seemed to be at a loss for words and before he had a chance to make up some excuse, I stormed off into one of the bedrooms.

"So, we're not sleeping together?" he asked from afar and I left him with silence. "Fine. Two can play that game," he growled before I heard him storm off and slam a door.

In the room I had picked, there was a queen size bed, a dresser, and a night stand with a lamp. It wasn't much, but it didn't really matter. I didn't even bother to change out of my old disgusting clothes as I jumped right into bed and under the covers. Sleep was what I need, I just wasn't sure how much of it I would be getting. My night consisted of tossing and turning for hours. The more the rain came down, the more I became distressed. At one point I did fall asleep, but a nightmare followed shortly after. It was the same nightmare that I had every night. Yet, it managed to scare me every night and I cried for help every time. And every time I cried out, my husband would come to my side and try and make it better. I didn't want him to, however, he came anyways. This night felt different, he never came. Maybe he had left or maybe he had given up on trying to get through to me. Maybe he was there, but I just didn't know it.

When morning came around and I was still wide awake, the sun wasn't scintillating through my window. The sun wasn't even out. The storm clouds from the distance were blocking the sun out completely and allowing for the rain to continue falling at a rapid pace.

I got out of bed and went into the bathroom that was thankfully attached to the room. When I noticed my reflection in the mirror, I was taken back a little by how gross I looked. Disgusted at myself, I turned on the hot water, quickly and swiftly undressed, and jumped into the steaming hot shower.

I washed my hair first, only to find out how gross it really was. The water, which burned my skin, felt rejuvenating. I started to feel cleansed, but I knew it was a lie. I stood under the hot water with my forehead resting against the title for what seemed like forever. I was trying to avoid and get around the problem at hand. As much as I wanted to hide from my problems, I had to go and face them.

Sadly and painfully, I got out of the shower and dried myself off. I put on fresh new clothes, nothing too fancy but nothing too laundry day. Being lazy, I towel dried my hair and then put it in a side braid to my left.

I went down stairs only to find the one person I wanted to avoid sitting in one of the rooms reading. When I walked in, I expected him to make some type of comment or insult towards me but he just kept reading. He never even glanced up. Despite the cold chill he was sending me, I sat down in the chair next to him and gave him a stare down.

Eventually, he gave in when he slammed his book shut and snapped "What?" at me.

"Nothing," I replied. "You're the master and I'm the servant, remember? So, there can't possibly be anything. Besides, I know my place."

"You're lying to me," he said coldly.

"Well obviously." I rolled my eyes. "Are you going to tell me the whole story now or what?" I asked him.

"If I must," he replied stiffly. "In order to take precautions, I fled. I did it for our survival just in case. I left Rebekah there because she was being too slow and she would have drawn too much attention towards us. I left in such a hurry that I had to leave Elena behind, so I left Stefan to protect her."

"Protect her?" I was so out of the loop.

"You were right," he said. Those were the words that I loved to hear. "Her blood is the key to turning my hybrids. If Damon is telling the truth and Mikael is coming, then I'm going to kill him once and for all. But, I'm not going back to Mystic Falls without back up." I didn't blame him.

"So, we have to go werewolf hunting again?" I asked as I groaned.

"Precisely, but not until tomorrow. It'll be closer to the full moon then and the weather outside is terrible at the moment," he said as the wind and the rain picked up.

Without another word, I left him. I was going to enjoy my day off. I went upstairs and rummaged through my bag until I found the current book that I was reading. I laid on the bed and read a few pages. After a few pages, I got bored of it and rummaged through my bag again. When I found my little journal type notebook, I pulled it out along with a pen. It was the book that I wrote all my thoughts in. It had everything from my thoughts and novels that I had written to list after list of my kills. It was my book of thought and emotion. For some reason it always helped me see my humanity, who I wanted to be, who I was, and who I had become.

I had begun a new novel. It was based on isolation and the fear it caused. When I hit writers block, I decided to go back to reading my book. Grabbing my book, I headed down stairs where I found a blood bag in the fridge. After I sucked it dry, I threw it out and headed outside onto the porch as I felt eyes watching me.

I loved to listen and watch the rain as it fell. It was pouring down, but I was still able to find peace in it. I sat myself down on the sheltered steps and began to read. Not long after, I was interrupted when I heard the door to the house creak open. He came forward slowly and sat down next to me on the sheltered steps.

"Whatcha reading?" he asked me.

"It's none of your business," I replied as I shut my book and put it face down behind me so he couldn't see the title.

"We need to talk," he stated.

"About what!" I exclaimed as I left a rant take over me. "You always do this. You keep doing this. You keep telling me that we need to talk, but don't you get it? I'm sick and tired of talking to you. I don't want to be here and I definitely don't want to be here with you. Gosh. I just," I paused for a moment as I took in the pain on his face. "I just can't do this anymore." I stood up. "I just wish that my life was back to the way it was. Not the way it was with you, but the way it was before you daggered Kol," I spat at him and I could see the sorrow in his eyes that he tried to fight as he stood up.

"God! Just stop wishing! You keep wishing for things that are never going to happen, things that are dead. You have all this hope built up inside of yourself, but don't you get it? It doesn't exist. There is no hope, because in order to have hope you need to be capable of love. And in our reunited time period together, you've proven to me that you're not capable of love. At least not anymore..." His anger, frustration, and patience were about to explode as the raining pelted harder and hard. "All those years I thought that it was me who was incapable of love, but its been you all this time! You taught me how to love. When you left, I thought it was all my fault!" he yelled at me as a streak of lightning flashed across the dark sky and less than a second later, thunder followed showing that the storm was too close for comfort.

I couldn't stand to be near him for another second. I left the sheltered area and went out into the rain. I didn't get far when he stopped me. He was going to finish yelling, rain or shine. "I realize now that it wasn't because of me. For some reason you're now incapable of feeling such powerful emotions," he said coldly as the rain poured down on us and trickled down our faces. "But for some strange and unknown reason, I still try over and over again to get you back, but you just keep pushing me away! That's what you do, you push people away when you get scared or confused. On the outside you can handle everything, but on the inside you shut down completely and hide no matter what you tell the world," he yelled over the rain. He then looked deep into my eyes as he gently touched my face and tucked a hanging strand of my hair behind my ear. "All I want if for you to let me in again. As stupid as it is, I wish too. I wish that we could be what we use to be, honest and true."

"Maybe you need to stop trying and stop wishing," I spat as I swatted his hand off of my face. "Just let go like I asked you to do when I left you." I wasn't sure what had been coming over either of us, but I knew it wasn't good. I was confused and conflicted. I had no one to turn to. I had Klaus to turn to, but I was afraid. I didn't want to end up hurting myself again. I was confused about my feelings and did what I did best, I pushed him away. I pushed him away in the worst possible way and without even thinking I hurt him with my next words. "Maybe I never loved you," I whispered. I saw the loneliness of tears in his eyes. I had hurt him in the worst of way and I knew that I would regret it for the rest of my existence. The worst part, immediately after I said it, I wanted to take it back but I knew that I couldn't. He would never believe me and my pride was getting in the way.

He looked at me with such pain in his eyes as he said, "I can't let you go. I will never let you go." In the blink of an eye I felt a blade pierce through my heart, but it wasn't just any blade. It was one of my only weaknesses, a small, bronze dagger that could neutralize me. I had only ever been neutralized once before, but that was by the five. I figured the dagger was lost by now, but apparently Klaus felt that one day he would need it.

As I lost all feeling and began to go dry, I heard his last words whispered in my ear as he caught me. "I will never be alone," he stated and I never forgot those words.

I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to be alone either. The world is a scary place. When we become isolated, we change and not for the better. But, isolations isn't all bad. Heightened self-consciousness, apartness, an inability to join in, physical shame and self-loathing, those devils are some peoples angels. Without them some would never have disappeared into language, literature, the mind, laughter and all the mad intensities that made and unmade them. Sometimes dreams are better than reality. Through isolation we are able to hide ourselves deep within our minds. Sometimes fantasy is better than reality.

John Donne said, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee." But, he clearly was never left alone with his thought. Never left to go deep into his subconscious, never left to do some digging, never left alone.

"Why do people have to be this lonely? What's the point of it all? Millions of people in this world, all of them yearning, looking to others to satisfy them, yet isolating themselves. Why? Was the earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?"

**AN**

**When Kol died I wanted to cry so badly, but the tears just wouldn't come out.**

**I need him back.**

**He is the perfect combo. Damon's personality mixed with Stefan's looks and some Original flavor.**

**I just want him back.**

**Okay, chapter thoughts? OH SNAP! He dagger her, but I probably would have done the same if I thought I was loosing my only hope for humanity and love.**

**Thoughts?**

**POV preference? **

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	32. Chapter 32: Several Steps Ahead

_Chapter 32: Several Steps Ahead_

**Niklaus' POV**

"Maybe I never loved you," were the words that flashed across my mind over and over again. Did she really mean those words? I had a gut feeling that it was an in the moment lie, but it still hurt. The fact that she was even able to process those words, never mind say them, caused me to die a little inside.

I daggered her because I was afraid of losing her. Not physically, but emotionally losing her. I got scared and acted on impulse. We had had fights worse than that one before, but I knew this one was different. It wasn't like all of the other ones where we would scream and yell at each other to no end for the stupidest of reasons. Those ones always ended up the same. One of us would start off sleeping in a different room, but before the night would be over would crawl right back into bed like nothing had ever happened. Then, of course there was the makeup sex, which was probably the only reason why we fought.

Ever since I had been reunited with her, it had been extremely hard not to try and take her right then and there. As hard as it was, I still had manners. I didn't want our first time in years to be just because we were both extremely horny. I wanted it to be because she wanted me back for good. I was trying to make sure that I would do everything right this time around. I couldn't afford to fuck up my entire relationship with her once more.

Her questioning her love for me brought me back to a summer morning. The morning where I asked her who the last person she had slept with was and she had told me my brother. But, which brother? Elijah was too moral, but Kol was a foolish, young boy who acted on on impulse, suffered from a broken heart, and was currently she telling the truth? In my mind, I was calling her bluff. But in reality, I didn't know what to believe. I had always had this feeling that she was alive and that we would be together again. So, I waited over five hundred years for her and her alone. I only hoped that she was bluffing and had remained loyal to me. Maybe she had also felt that one day we would be together again, but maybe she hadn't.

"I will never be alone," I muttered over and over again as I held her in my lap on the cold, soaking wet ground. The rain had lightened a little, but not much. I began to regret my decision more and more, but overall I felt as if I had made the right choice. It wasn't a justifiable choice and it at first look it appear to be an act of cruelty, obsession, and abuse, but I knew it would save our marriage... It had to save to save our marriage. I had ran out of plans to win her back, there's only so many letters in the alphabet. So, I converted to my last resort for the good and health of our relationship. Love in patient, and I planned on being very patient to make it work. She had to suffer slightly for the good of us as a whole, but without suffering there would be no compassion. Her of all people should understand that.

With her in my lap, I had broke down sobbing. The tears had blended in with the rain as I took a moment to regain myself. I took a moment to breath in her mint lavender scent. Her scent consumed me and I was almost tempted to pull out the dagger, but I pushed that thought quickly to the back of my mind. I looked down at her innocent yet strong face. As a rainbow began scintillating at me from a nearby puddle, I removed some of the water droplets from her face and gently moved a few strands of her hair off of her visage. Her body began to feel lifeless as I held her close. After staring aimlessly into her dead hazel eyes, I gently closed them. Then, I gracefully picked her up and brought her inside to dry off. After she had dried off, I put her in her coffin. It pained me to do so, but I knew in some sick twisted way that it was what I had to do.

After I had packed up both of our things and put them in the car, I headed out to make me some hybrids. I still hadn't figured out if Damon was bluffing yet, but I wanted to be prepared for the worst.

My werewolf quest lead me to multiple dead ends. Finally, after what seemed to be forever and after going from state to state with only mild success, I ended up in Portland. After I got over all of the whiny music and healthy looking people, it proved to literally be a breeding ground for werewolves. My quest quickly became a success and after some resistance I had a good sized army of hybrids.

The tables began to wobble when Stefan called me. He informed me of my fathers kinda sorta death. I was in shock and in disbelieve. I needed confirmation and Rebekah confirmed. After her confirmation, she told me that she missed me and so I had to come home. I felt that she was telling me the truth, but I doubted if she was telling me the whole truth. I wanted so desperately to believe her, but I figured that just in case she was lying to her own brother to have a backup plan or two. I'll always be a few steps ahead of everybody else. If I wasn't, then it would lead to betray, cheating, and most of all, it would lead me to pain.

The thought of Mikael had brought me back to what Red had said to me earlier. She had said that she thought she had taken care of Mikael. I didn't doubt her words, in fact, her words had given me hope and strength. They showed me that she did care about my well being, if she didn't then she wouldn't have gone through all the trouble to eliminate Mikael to the best of her abilities.

After phoning Tyler, my prized hybrid, and giving my news hybrids a vampire 101 crash course, I headed back to Mystic Falls. I made sure that my return would be nothing but flashy and impressive.

When I arrived at the Lockwood Mansion I was quite impressed with Tyler's ability to follow my orders. The party looked fantastic. After the band finished their song, I took the liberty to make my appearance. "Good evening everyone!" I said into the microphone on stage as everyone cheered. "I wanna thank you for being here with me to celebrate! It's been a long time coming!" I made sure to make eye contact with Stefan before I left the stage. If he was planning something, than I wanted to make sure that he at least had the opportunity to rethink it all over.

After my little speech, I met up with Stefan. We ended up walking and talking together outside at the party.

"Quite the Homecoming," he said.

"I've been planning my father's funeral for a thousand years. Granted, in no version of it were any of these people invited, but you get the idea," I said to him rather quickly.

"So, what now? Stop running?"

I smirked slightly at him before I said, "Hm- now I reunite my family." Was that not obvious?

"Your family. You mean the people you cart around in caskets? Speaking of family, where's Red? What exactly is she to you anyways?" He was starting to test my patients.

"I understand you miss your little friend at the moment, Stefan, but she's a little preoccupied at the moment. You'd do best to stay out of my personal life. Besides, none of the daggering matters anymore. Mikael is gone. Bygones will be bygones." I gave him a little smile, but when the Homecoming Queen strolled by it started to click together. I knew something was definitely off and so I decided to do my best to keep up my act and continue to be several steps ahead of the game. "Seems the Homecoming Queen still walks among the living, which leads me to believe Rebekah isn't here... Where is she?" If I was going to keep up my act, then I had to at least seem to be somewhat suspicious.

"I have no idea. I thought she was coming with Matt," replied Stefan.

"Oh, be honest now, Stefan. Where is my sister?" There's always some way around compulsion.

"I said I have no idea. How would you like me to take you to your father?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a party without the guest of honor, would it? Bring him to me," I ordered.

"All right. Perhaps there's something in it for me...? My freedom from your compulsion?"

"Oh, you want your freedom? Well, once he is dead and his weapon destroyed, you'll have your freedom. It'll be my pleasure to give it back to you." Did he think I was stupid? If anything, he was the stupid one but compared to his brother's plans, he looked like a genuis. I would break my old friends one way or another.

Stefan left and I began to mingle about the party or rather the wake. I eventually bumped into my prized hybrid and we began to have a little chat.

"My mom would seriously freak if she saw all these people here," Tyler told me.

"Your mother won't be a problem: I compelled her to go to church and pray for your friends," I said to him as he laughed a little and stood on the stairs that overlooked most of the party.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I want you to look around. There is Bonnie, there is Elena and Matt ,and there's your pretty little girlfriend Caroline. Epic dance was wrecked tonight and who came through with the party? You did. What a pal." He seemed to need a good pep talk or something. "But, who are all these other people here?"

"I have no idea. I've never seen half these people in my life," he replied honestly.

"That's because I've invited a few dozen friends of my own. That`s my friend Mindy, picked her up along the way in Kansas," I said as I pointed down to my right to her. "Did you know that there's an entire bloodline of werewolves in the heartland? That's Tony from North Dakota and let's not forget the Seattle contingent."

"Are those people all hybrids?"

"And they also love a good party. And they're like you were sired by me, they wish to serve their master. So if anyone should so much as make a move against me, they may feel obligated to retaliate. You're free to warn your friends." I gave him a smug smile and walked away. I knew that would spark something in Tyler and cause him to take some form of action. You gotta love the sire bond.

After I grabbed a beer, I walked over to Elena who was all by herself. She looked lonely and it appeared time for us to have a little chat. "Where`s your date?" I asked the doppelganger and pretended to care.

"Getting me a drink," she replied pathetically. So, I offered her mine, however, she declined.

"Well, seems I have you to thank for Mikael`s demise."

"He came at me. I didn't have a choice."

"Still I´m impressed. It`s not easy for a human to dagger an Original."

"It wasn't the first time."

"Right. Elijah," I said lightly and looked around. "You seem nervous."

"I'm not nervous. I just don't like you," she snapped.

"Let`s get straight to the point then, shall I, love? People have been after me for a thousand years and I am always one step ahead." You learn a few tricks along the way. Red had taught me most of them. "So whatever it is you're thinking of trying, go for it, give it your best shot. You won't succeed," I told her straight up and honestly.

"It won't be for lack of trying," she told me. She tried to walk away but I casually stopped her.

"Ah you'd be smart to tell Damon to mind his manners tonight, because if I die, I've already ensured that he'll die along with me! Even in death my hybrids have their orders. So, you killing me, you're killing him too." I knew that would cause something in her to spark.

I left the raging outside portion of the party and heading inside. I wound up playing beer pong with some of my hybrids. They had challenged me and actually thought they could beat me. I was just about to claim victory when on of my hybrids came over to me and said, "You have a visitor."

"Well, tell my visitor I`m on the brink of victory here," I replied rather annoyed as I washed the beer pong ball off.

"He said his name is Mikael," Mindy told me.

"Then we mustn't keep him waiting," I replied and then tossed the ball into the last cup. "Move everyone out back. I`m gonna have a little chat with my dad." With that said I took a big swig of my drink. I was in need of a little liquid courage. "Tony, you know what to do."

I headed to the front door and found Mikael outside waiting for me. Before I looked him in the eye, I took a moment to collect myself. Red always told me that one day I would have to face him once and for all, I just never really thought it would happen this soon.

"Hello, Niklaus," he said.

"Hello, Mikael. Why don't you come in? Oh, that`s right. I forgot you can`t."

"Or you can come outside if you want," he suggested.

"Or I could watch my hybrids tear you limb from limb," I countered.

"They can't kill me."

"True. But it`ll make a hell of a party game. All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce."

"The big bad wolf. You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward. Speaking of playthings, where your little girl friend to protect you now. I'm a little offended I never got invited to the wedding." He smiled in a mocking way at me. "It's funny. I heard that I apparently killed her, but she's alive. But, to be honest, I don't blame her for faking her own death. I wouldn't want to spend entirely with you either. You'll always be alone, Niklaus." He began to put me down like he had done so many times before. But, this time was different, this time I didn't have Red to reassure me that everything was okay. "You only forget. Your hybrids may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire. And they can be compelled by me." A compelled Mindy then pushed Elena into Mikaels arms. "Come out and face me, Niklaus. Or she dies."

"Go ahead. Kill her," I stated with sorrow in my eyes.

"No, Klaus. He'll do it," spoke the girl.

"If she dies, this lot will be last of your abominations," said Mikael.

"I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you."

"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one. Your own wife even left you. It's quite pathetic really." Mikael always knew where it would hurt the most.

"I'm calling your bluff, father. Kill her," I ordered as I tried to keep it together.

"Come outside and face me, you little coward. And I won't have to. Or I kill her and then go and find your girl and kill her too, unless you've already done that."

"My whole life you've underestimated me," I told him as a pathetic tear streamed down from my right eye. "If you kill her you lose your leverage. So go ahead. Go on. Kill her. Come on, old man. Kill her. Kill her!" I yelled. Besides, in the end, having hybrids meant nothing to me if I was without my girl and my family, if I was without anyone at my side.

Mikael actually laughed at me before he said, "Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great." Mikael then took the opportunity to stab the doppelganger in with a dagger. She then fell to the ground, dead. His action caused me to gasped in shock. I felt as if I had nothing left not. That I would be alone. I then had no back up plan for the future if all of my family left me.

As I began to get more emotional, I heard a noise behind me. When I turned around, I found myself in a horrible situation with Damon stabbing me in the stomach with the white oak stake. I began to yell in agony and he took the opportunity to throw me to the floor. He twisted the stake around causing me to groan more. Suddenly, he ripped out the stake and raised his arm high as was about the stake me. I truly believed that right then and there I was going to die. In that short moment, my whole life with Red seemed to flash before my eyes. Every harsh word we ever spoke to one another and every violent act seemed to be stained into my mind. I regretted all of it, everything that I had done. I was going to die, going to die without leaving on good terms with her. Just when I thought it was all over, Stefan knocked his own brother off of me, saving my life and earning him his freedom.

"What are you doing?!" Damon asked his brother and I took the opportunity to grab the stake from the floor. I quickly sped over to Mikael and jammed it through his heart as I knocked him over. He screamed and burst into flames as I just stood there and watched. I was finally free and I took a moment to wipe off the emotion that had built up off of my face.

"What the hell did you do?" Damon asked Stefan who was still on top of him.

"He's earned his freedom," I stated as I walked back inside the house. "Thank you my friend. You no longer have to do as I say. You're free," I un-compelled him. After he had regained his freedom, he looked back to find Damon, but he had fled.

I was overcome with joy at the event of Mikael's death and left straight away to go and wake my family. When I arrived where the truck with the coffins were, I decided to call Rebekah. She surprisingly didn't answer, so I left her a voice mail. "Rebekah, where are you? Pick up the phone, darling. Daddy is dead. It's time for a family reunion." As soon as I finished leaving her a message, I received another call. "Stefan! Miss me already?"

"I'm just calling to thank you for my freedom," he said.

"Oh, I like to believe I'm a man of my word, more or less." It really just depended on the day and the situation.

"Thing is, it came at too high of a price. You took everything from me, Klaus."

"Let bygones be bygones, trust me. Resentment get's old," I said as I approached the back of my truck.

"You know what never get's old," he asked as I began to open the truck door. "Revenge."

When I opened the truck, it was empty and every single casket was gone. "No," I growled with anger.

"What's the matter, Klaus? Missing something?"

"What are you doing?" I had begun to panic.

"Just enjoying my freedom."

"I will kill you and everyone you've ever met!" I warned him.

"You do that and you will never see your family again. You will never see your little girl friend ever again. I wonder Klaus, as someone who has been one step ahead for a thousand years, are you prepared for this?" With his last words, I angrily hung up.

That boy had another thing comin if he thought that he could take all of them away from me like that. I wouldn't go down without a fight and I most certainly wouldn't go down without seeing Red at least one more time. I had to make it alright again, I just had to.

Stefan had become a fool boy who acted on impulse. For that, I would make sure that he paid. No one messes with an Original and lives to tell the tale.

**AN**

**Had no homework tonight and I was all 'oh yeah its TVD time bitches!'**

**I still miss Kol. I'm suffering from Kol withdrawals and it's killing me.**

**If he doesn't come back, we're gonna have a serious problem.**

**Poor Klaus. The guy just can't catch a break.**

**Thoughts?**

**Comments?**

**Complaints?**

**Help... Please.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	33. Chapter 33: Game On

_Chapter 33: Game On_

**Niklaus' POV**

After I had a slight mental breakdown about my coffins being stolen, I pulled myself together and devised a plan. Stefan may have thought that he was in control, but I would get my coffins back one way or another. I didn't care if that meant losing everything else. I knew what was important and I had my priorities straight.

I started off by getting the doppelganger to become paranoid, had a few hybrids follow her here and there as I hid out for a few weeks. I figured that I was in need of rekon. I took it to the next level after I had my hybrid Tony bump into Elena one morning. Later that day, Tony and I headed down to our local pub where, as expected, we found Elena and Damon. I knew that her seeing Tony would give her the chills and I did love a good reaction.

They appeared to know nothing. I asked if they knew where my sister was, but they said nothing. Then, I asked where Stefan was, but again they played dumb. I brought up the fact that I was thinking of moving into town. At first it was just motivation for them, but then I really thought about it. It was a quaint, little town and had been where home once was. When I got my family back we would need a home and Mystic Falls seemed like a good place to start. I only hoped that Red would love it and I was planning to do my best to make sure everything was perfect. Finally, I threw in a few threats along with some alpha male actions and left them with their thoughts. I figured that in due time it would all be going my way as usual.

A few hours later, I decided that Damon and I were long overdue for a little chat. Damon was by the bar making a drink and I invited myself right in. I was stand a few feet away from the Salvatore as I said,"I think it´s about time we had a drink, don't you?"

"I'd say we're overdue," replied an under the influence Damon.

"Well, you've been so busy with all your plotting and scheming," I added rather quickly.

"You know me. Never miss a chance to plan an epic failure," he said before he took a huge gulp of his drink.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Who could have guessed your own brother would betray you?" I moved from my spot at the door way and headed closer towards the vampire. "Besides, it's not that easy to fool somebody my age."

"Well, I did have a front row seat when your sister lied to you."

"Yeah, well she's fickle that one," I stated and he gave me a little head nod in agreement. "And you say you have no idea of her whereabouts?" I assumed that he wouldn't be so stupid as to lie to my face, but who ever knows with young people these days.

"That´s the thing with younger siblings," he told me. "You just never know what they're gonna do." He let out a little laugh before draining his drink and asking, "Drink?" It was strange with Damon. I never knew which direction he was going in. Sometimes he appeared to be the bad guy, but other times he would completely turn around and care, care for his brother's girl. I could never keep up with the Salvatores.

He proceeded to pour both of us drinks as I stood there awkwardly. He handed me my drink and I raised my glass saying, "Cheers mate!"

"Down the hatch," he replied before we drank.

"You know, we've actually got a lot in common you and I," I told him.

"Really?" he asked as he refreshed his glass and I moved about the room a tad. "Well, yeah. Maybe we can bond over our mutual loathing of my brother. Why are you so mad at him? He stole something?"

"My family, the Originals... I had them daggered, boxed-up awaiting the day when I saw fit to wake them. And he went in and pinched the bloody lot."

"Of course he did. Such a buzz kill, my baby bro. Well, I'd love to find him. Just the trouble is, I sure as hell don't work for you." Thank goodness for that. The complications that would cause.

"You know, your drink stinks of vervain, so I can't compel you. There'd be no point in killing you because you're actually the one with the most help of getting me what I need and right now, I kind of need my girl back if you don't mind. And yet it would seem a demonstration is in order. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough when I told you to find Stefan. Well, it seems you people respond best to displays of violence. Why don't you take this as an example of my reach," I remarked rather quickly and then proceeded to take out my phone. After dialing the number and waiting a moment, my hybrid picked up. "There he is! So, that thing I told you to do- why don't you go ahead and get on with it?"

After we exchanged smug looks, I left him. I headed to my new mansion, which I had just bought. The idea of setting up shop here with my family had really stuck. I wanted everything to be perfect for them. The mansion that I had purchased was enormous, not the biggest that my family had ever had, but still very large. I could picture it all. I could envision exactly which room I would turn into a library/piano room for Red, my art studio, and even which room would be our bedroom. I had always known her taste, which was basically my taste, so it was easy to pick everything out. I knew she wouldn't want some dungeon, so I made sure that as much sunlight as possible was allowed to scintillate through the rather large ceiling to floor windows I had ordered. I knew exactly what I wanted and when you have money and compulsion it's no problem.

After I had ordered a few people around, Tyler showed up and I had to give him a little pep talk. He was holding onto human life too much and it was sickening, but nothing that I couldn't fix.

Later that night, I received a call from Elena. I headed right over to the Salvatore Boarding House after Elena called. It seemed as if my message had been quite effective.

When I got there, Elena quickly opened the door and said, "Thank you for coming."

I immediately pushed right past her and said, "I trust you have news of Stefan. You better hope you have news of Stefan. I'm a very busy man after all."

"I couldn't find him," she admitted. "But, I have something else."

She lead me down to the cellar where Rebekah's lifeless, daggered body lie. "My poor sister," I whispered as sorrow rushed through my veins but I contained it. "I can't turn my back on her for a moment."

"You have Rebekah. A deal is a deal." She was so pushy.

"The life of my sister in exchange for your brother? Yeah I'd say that's a bargain. Consider him spared." For now.

"You should know I was the one that daggered her. When she wakes she´ll come after me."

"I can control Rebekah. Besides I still need your help finding Stefan."

"I told you I don't know where he is."

"You're lying," I said as I crouched down and undaggered my poor sister. "Fortunately you have no shortage of loved ones. If I don´t find my family the question you should be asking yourself is who´s gonna die next! Bonnie? Caroline? Damon? It´s only a matter of time before Stefan gives me what I want."

"He doesn't care about me anymore. You made sure of that. You turned him into a monster. Now, he´s your problem. And just so you know I'm not the only one that Rebekah wants dead. She knows what you did to your mother. She knows that you killed her. You can let yourself out," she said before she left me.

Rebekah's forgiveness would take time, but I knew it was there. I just figured it best to let her continue to settle in her slumber for now. It wasn't her forgiveness or love or anything that I was worried about. I was worried about Red. When I awoke her, what would she think of me? Would I just become another face in the crowd to her? Or would she hear me out and accept me? But, the bigger matter at hand would come when I awoke my brothers.

I took Rebekah's body and brought it home with me. I laid her gently on a table as her skin slowly began to appear normal. "Here we are, Rebekah," I said outloud. "Home sweet home. Only took a thousand years... And to think I was counting on you and Red being here with me. But that's all ruined now, isn't it?" I noticed one her fingers move a little and knew it was time. "I'm so sorry," was all I knew how to say before I stroked her cheek. "Sister... We'll meet again one day," were the words I said before I daggered her once more and she became stiff again and lost all the color that had returned. Maybe there was hope for my family, but then again, maybe there wasn't. I had done horrible things time and time again with no guilt, but everytime I forced myself to commit a wrong act towards my family I died a little more each time inside. It hurt me more than any dagger ever could. Guilt can consume and it has a hearty appetite.

Later, I proceeded to place Rebekah in her coffin and then commanded a hybrid to take her away. Then, I spotted Stefan in the corner and said, "I'm surprised you're still in town. I gave you your freedom, you could have gone anywhere."

"I live here, Klaus," he told me.

"Well if we're playing this game, then, I was here first," I joked as I got a tad closer to him.

"You know, I don't like your hybrid friends. They're everywhere, kind of like flies. I want them gone."

"Yeah, well I kind of like having them around," I said as I refilled my glass. "You know, I'm hurt. I hoped that when I free you, we pick where we left off. But here you are, guzzling vervain like the rest of them, I'm sure. So much for friendship." Nothing ever worked out as planned, especially for me.

"Friends don't strip friends of their free will."

"Okay, granted, that was a little extreme, but I get a little moody. Just ask my siblings. Speaking of whom, isn't it time you handed them over?"

"Klaus." He took a step forward. "Get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls or I will remove them myself."

"You see, if you continue to threaten me, I'm gonna be forced to retaliate. Kill people. And it will get messy again."

"Do whatever you want." He shrugged. "I don't really care. Or you know what? Maybe I do. Maybe I care so much, that I'll drop Elijah in the Arctic."

"Well, maybe I'll be willing to lose one brother if it meant killing yours." Sadly, I still was not allowed to kill Damon as order of Red. Ugh.

"Try me, let's find out," he said and I smiled. "Or maybe I'll start with what's her name? Oh, Red that's right. She's your what? I believe Mikael put it that she's your wife. Well, maybe I'll just drop her off somewhere in the Atlantic. Or I could always undagger her and use her against you considering how much she appeared to hate you over the summer." Stefan then took the opportunity to smile at me as he knew how and who would hurt me the most.

I quickly contained myself as Mindy came in and asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, Mindy. Stefan was just leaving after failing to make his point," I said and then Stefan rushed over to her and chopped her head clean off with a nearby saw. We were more alike than he ever knew.

"Well, one down. You may want to send the rest of them away before it gets messy, again," he said with a smile firmly planted on his face. He then tossed his weapon onto the table and walked off. He was going to pay one way or another.

I called Tyler and we had a little chat. He refused to bite his girlfriend, but in a sense I guilt tricked him into it. You gotta love the sire bond.

I figured that it was time to weasel my way to the counsel and so I decided to go to there little event they had going on. I ended up talking to Carol Lockwood. After a few compliments, a donation, and some small talk it had all been all worked out. I made a few protection promises and it pissed off Damon right away. Damon then lead me to an empty room where I assumed he would bore me but he ended up turning me into a nervous wreck. Stefan had grabbed Elena due to desperation and was supposedly planning to do something reckless. But how far would Stefan go? Stefan called me and threatened to drive my blood source off of the Wickery Bridge. I had no choice but to cave and get my hybrids out of town.

To end the night, I end up saving Caroline's life. It wasn't because I Iiked her, but because in a way she reminded me of Red. The whole situation reminded that I needed to get my whole family straightened out before Red's birthday. I had a lot of those to make up for. In general, I had a lot to make up for.

* * *

I needed a status report from Stefan on where we stood at the moment, so I head to his house. When I noticed that he wasn't home, I decided to let myself in, drink some of Damon's alcohol, listen to some music, and relax as I waited.

Eventually, he showed up, killed my jam, and asked, "What are you doing here, Klaus?"

"Enjoying our stalemate," I replied.

"What do you want?" At least he was being straight forward, no small talk or pretending to be friends. Cutting the crap is always nice.

"The question is what do you want? My hybrids left town as you demanded, so please tell me what I need to do to get my family back."

"Well, see... Klaus...I'm not negotiating," he told me as he took a seat.

"And you understand, that holding them indefinitely is the same thing as dropping them in the ocean?"

"No, No. You leave Mystic Falls and then give me call in a few years and we'll talk." He sure as hell better have been attempting to make some form of a joke.

"I can give you another chance. Just one more. Let's make a reasonable deal, but only because I have a birthday deadline soon."

"Or what? You make one move and I will drop-"

I cut him off by laughing. "Yes, right. Crazy Stefan. How is that working out for you? Any friends left?"

I left, did some more plotting, threw in a little revenge, and eventually I ended up at an abandoned cottage. Damon was in a room lit by candles and I decided to show my face. "What took you so long? Hiding behind your witchy friends. And in squalor no less." Without a second word the witches didn't hesitate to force me to break down as they caused me pain.

"Insulting a bunch of dead witches... not smart. I made the exact same mistake first time I came in here," said Damon.

"Well, you know, the funny thing about witches is, that living or death, they care about their own. A hundred dead witches have a thousand living descendants... And I have no problem, killing every last one of them, if I don't get my coffins back. As we speak, my hybrid friend is prepared to end the Bennett line," I said and with that the candles dwindled down and the pain subsided. "Now... please... show me the coffins," I said in the nicest tone that I could muster up. I could then see the coffins and I quickly counted them. "Here we are. Where's the fifth? Show me!" I demanded.

"Well, here's the thing. They can't. It's not here," spoke the eldest Salvatore as he started walking around the room.

"What did you do?" I asked him as I got closer and closer to him and he got farther and farther away.

"Well, Bonnie gave me the heads-up. I didn't have enough time, to get all four, but I did have time to get one."

"I will tear you, limb from limb. And only then, when you're a riving mass of blood and flesh, will I rip your heart from your chest," I said to his face.

"Sorry. The same rules apply. You know, leverage and all. I know you want your family back. But something tells me, you want what's in that coffin a lot more." Then, he left.

I gathered my family and brought them make to our new home.

When one of my hybrids had finished bringing my family into a big room, he spoke, "You've got your family back. Finally. You gonna open them?" Was he stupid?

"Not quite yet. I stíll have some unfinished business to take care of," I replied as I headed out of the room.

"What business?" asked the idiot.

When I turned around to reply to him, he began squirming before he fell to the floor, dead. When he fell, it revealed an extremely pissed of Elijah holding the hybrids heart. I was left cowering in fear as Elijah said, "So, Niklaus..."

"Elijah?" Was all I was able to produce for words.

"What did I miss?" he aske asked as I felt a death glare and I knew that this wouldn't end well.. Especially when he found out that I daggered Red... Shit.

**AN**

**I know it was kind of standard, but I just had to get through that and now the real fun can begin with the Originals and their sexiness.**

**Bare with me.**

**Next chapter is when things start heating up and we proceed to the heart of the story.**

**I'm thinking maybe some Elijah POV for next chapter, but I'm not sure...**

**Thoughts?**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	34. Chapter 34: To Feel True Pain

_Chapter 34: To Feel True Pain_

**Elijah's POV**

"You look surprised to see me," I said to the brother who never failed to betray me as I wiped off my hands. "So it wasn't you that removed the dagger from my chest?" I was hurt. My own brother had wounded me deep in my soul and I would not be so quick to trust him ever again.

"You look like you could do with a drink. And we have a lot to discuss, so shall we?" Niklaus was definitely on edge and he had a right to be considering I was more than angry and disappointed. He gesture for us to go and have a drink, but I decided that a different approach was in order. I had had enough with words and so I attacked him. I sent him flying through a window with ease. He growled at me. "Easy. I just finished renovating." Niklaus quickly recovered and slammed me onto a table that I broke. I was on the floor and it took me a few seconds to get up as Klaus continued to use his word. "You know you have every right to be mad at me. But I kept my word, I reunited you with our family." He know the real reason was I was so furious, however, he did his best to avoid that subject. I attacked him again and again until he slid against a coffin. He tried to think quick and undaggered Kol. He then threatened me with the dagger as he pinned me to a coffin. "Don't make me do this to you again, Elijah!"

"Come on. Use it. I dare you. You'll have Kol to deal with. And we both know how furious he will be with you. Unlike him, I show mercy and you know it." I had always had a strange suspicion that Kol, like myself, had an unexplainable connect and need to be with and near Rufina. Unlike Kol, I possessed restraint. At times, Kol could be reckless and he was like Niklaus in the sense that he acted on impulse. Ever since he had lost Lucy, he had changed. He transformed himself to such an extent that even I could hardly recognize him. I assumed that his love for her ran too deep and that is why her death had corrupted him, but later days caused me to think otherwise. In reality, her death seemed to trigger something in him. Perhaps a realization. A realization that he was infinitely and utterly alone. Red had never payed attention to him like Lucy had. Could that have been the cause for his feelings towards her? Or did he truly love her? It didn't matter. His feelings had shifted with a swift gust of wind. After he had recomposed himself, he throw the majority of his efforts into trying to get closer to Red in any way he was allowed. He took it so far as to even receive a dagger to the heart in his efforts to aid her. Was what he really felt love or was he just trying to hold onto his last connection to Lucy?

Klaus released his grip on me as he came to a great realization and said, "Mikael is dead."

"What did you say?" I stood up as I got my bearings.

"I killed him. With his own weapon. He's gone Elijah. Forever."

"Why do our family remain in these coffins? Finn for over 900 years, Kol for over a century." I was about ready to wring my brothers neck.

"Because of Stefan Salvatore. He holds the one thing keeping me from freeing them. There are things that you do not know about our past, Elijah. Our mother's death. Things I never wanted you to know, but I`m ready to tell you now. I only ask that you remember the oath of loyalty you once swore to me." He then swirled the dagger in the white ash and redaggered Kol, which was a smart thing to do. Kol possessed quite the tempt, but unfortunately he shared that trait with our half brother.

"What are you doing?" Kol look so at peace and simple for once

"Always and forever. I need you to stand by my side. Be my brother. Help me destroy Stefan and I promise you our family will be whole again." He then closed Kol's coffin lid and lead me off to discuss things. We had quite a lot to discuss. My best bet seemed to be to play along with whatever games my brother had gotten into.

Niklaus let me clean myself up before we discussed things. When I was washing up I noticed a note in my jacket pocket and immediately thought up a plan to shake Klaus off my back for an hour or so.

Klaus opened up to me about our mother's death and filled me in on everything that had happened in town. The whole time he left out one major detail, what had happened to Red. I know he would become full of rage if I brought it up so soon. I decided to let him bring it up on his own, but if he didn't then I would most definitely bring it up in public.

Eventually, I manage to slip away from Klaus by guilting and telling him that I just needed some time to myself. I found exactly who I was looking for in a small clearing near the edge of the woods.

"Elijah, my favorite original, back from the dead. Clean up nice," said Damon as he strolled over.

"You left something, in my jacket pocket," I said casually as I pulled out the note.

"Oh, yeah. 'Dear Elijah, let's get together, plot the destruction of your brother, XOXO'"

"Damon."

"Was I right to undagger you or are we gonna have a problem?"

"I'm here, let's talk." I was more than ready to talk. Secretly, I was eager to take down my brother for once again ruining my happiness. Not only did he dagger our family, but he daggered myself and I could only imagine what he had done to Red. I wondered where exactly she was and then it hit me. Worry began to consume me as what I always feared might happen had happened. I would strip Niklaus of everything just like he had done to me. He had to understand and feel true lose. The only solution, undagger all of my family and allow for as all to abandon him. He needed to grow up and feel true pain.

"I'll start with an easy question, any idea what kind of Klaus killing weapon could be magically sealed in a mystery coffin?" He was outright stupid if he thought that I was going to tell him the truth on that one.

We discussed and devised a plan to take out my brother in the most humiliating of ways. Damon and I both had some trust issues towards each other, but in the end we both wanted the same thing. All we needed was a distraction.

There was a knock on the door to Klaus's mansion. Considering that I was the closest I opened it. Behind the door revealed none other than the Salvatore brothers. "Niklaus, our guests have arrived," I announced. They walked in only to find Niklaus standing in the small dining area. He seemed more than eager to heat things up. It hadn't taken much effort to convince Niklaus to agree to this evening. Perhaps it was because he wanted some form of entertainment. It most certainly wasn't because he was trying to earn my forgiveness.

"Damon. Stefan. Elijah tells me, you seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilised men, shall we?" said Klaus.

"It's better to indulge him," I said.

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus. Fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told, I had to cause you would hear us out," announced Stefan.

"Well, we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours," calmly state Klaus as he took a seat.

We all ended up eating and drink around the dining table, everyone except Stefan. Stefan seemed to know what he wanted and I admired that quality, however, in this game, what Stefan wanted would only lead to death and stupidity. He was barking up the wrong tree.

"You lost your appetite," Klaus said to Stefan.

"Eat," urged Damon. "I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home." At least Damon had some form of manners and new how to play the game.

"That's the spirit. Isn't it nice? Four of us dining together? Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?" asked Niklaus.

"Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier," replied Damon while smiling.

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century. But, we always make it through."

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" asked Stefan. Niklaus's smile immediately disappeared. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her."

"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah." Niklaus smiled softly at me. I allowed for my serious expression to mask all my thoughts and did not smile back.

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed dad? Might want to dial down the judgment until dessert," said Damon. He seemed to know his place.

"We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we need to kiss his ass for seven courses." I thought it was certainly worth the effort. No one likes a kiss ass, but sucking up usually provides a lovely source of entertainment.

"I'm just saying we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."

We continued to eat and drink. We drank a conversation wasn't really heading in a good direction so I asked,"Stefan, where is the lovely Elena tonight?"

"I don't know. Ask Damon." Touchy subject apparently.

Niklaus laughed at Stefans response and then said, "I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Uh- trouble in paradise." Clearly he didn't fill me in on everything.

"One more word about Elena and this dinner's over," said Stefan. Klaus continued to laugh under his breath.

"You know what, probably best just to keep Elena in the do not discuss pile," stated Damon.

"You're probably right," said Niklaus. "It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger, still so strong. What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?" He was now entering troubled waters as he began to put me on edge. Tatia was definitely not one of my favorite subjects. I prefered to leave that all in the past, unlike Niklaus who had no filter.

"Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?"

"Well, given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina. I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line."

"Well, we're not going anywhere Elijah. Please, do tell," said Damon who then sipped his wine.

'I might as well get it over with.' "When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia, she was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus."

"I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much," said Niklaus. Truth be told, Niklaus never truly loved Tatia and neither did I. We both used her as a tool in our efforts to compete against one another and in our efforts to make Rufina jealous.

"Wait a minute, so you both loved the same girl?" asked Stefan. Had he not been listening to the story?

"Our mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires. Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, so for a time Niklaus and I... grew estranged. Harsh words were traded, we even came to blows, didn't we, brother?"

"But in the end we realized the sacred bond of family," smiled Niklaus.

We both said, "Family above all," and clinked our glasses together.

"Now, what about that little girlfriend you both have?" asked Stefan. If possible, I would have leaped across the table and struggled the younger Salvatore. "Where does she come into play with this all? I'm assuming that she's from way in your past considering the deep meaning she apparently holds to both of you and the fact that both of your facial expressions changed dramatically at the slightest mention of her." Niklaus and I looked at each other in a sense of panic. He had won her, but that didn't mean that I did not still have deep and everlasting feelings towards her. Niklaus knew of my feelings towards her and to him it seemed that he could always used them to his advantage. He used it to make sure that she was always protect and safe.

Niklaus looked Stefan directly in the eye as I swigged down my wine. "Why don't we leave that in the do not discuss pile as well." It hadn't been a question, it was a demand.

"So, why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" I tried to advert the conversation.

"That's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Me, Stefan, and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges," said Damon.

"The deal sounds fair, brother," I told Niklaus.

"I don't think you understand, Elena's doppelgänger blood insures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me." In other words, he would never have to be alone again if and when Red ever leaves him again or if she never takes him back. "I will never leave her behind." He got up and began pacing. "Let's say I do leave her here, under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding? You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is... the two of you." He was actually right.

Damon got up. "I'm gonna get some air." Then, he let.

"Let me deal with this," I said and followed Damon, leaving Stefan and my brother alone. Not the smartest idea, but it was necessary.

After Damon and I did what was needed to be done, we reentered the room.

"What do you say, Klaus?" asked Damon. "It's time for you to put something on the table. We've made our offer, now you counter."

"Okay. I offer Elena's future happiness. You see, what she needs right now is to be rid of you lot. And to fall in love with a human, maybe that nice football player, you know the blond one?"

"Matt Donovan? Really?" asked Damon.

"Yeah, why not? They'll marry, live a long and fruitful life, and pop out a perfect family."

"And continue the Petrova bloodline. Every few hundred years, you'll have a new doppelgänger to drain and never run out of hybrids, right Klaus?" Stefan was right.

"Consider it a small return on my investment in her well being. See after you hand me back the coffin, I'll ensure her safety for the rest of her natural life, you know it's what's best for her." Niklaus walked towards Stefan. "So, what do you say Stefan, do we have a deal?" Stefan met him halfway..

Klaus held out his hand and just before he could shake on it with Stefan, Stefan said, "Nice try, Klaus. But no deal."

Niklaus instantly broke Stefan's arm. Then, he kicked one of his legs and broke it. He shoved him towards the fire and allowed for Stefan's hand to burn in it. Damon attempted to help him brother, but I stopped him by pushing him against the wall. "What are you doing?" asked Damon. Niklaus only continues to burn Stefan's arm as Damon shouted, "Stop!"

Only then did he stop and say, "Now, bring me my coffin before I burn him alive."

"I'll get it," Damon responded quickly.

"Go with him, brother, you keep him honest. And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family." It was hard to think that I was older due to the way he treated me at times. He was once again trying to use our family against me.

After a few minutes, Damon and I reentered the room. Niklaus looked overly shocked and asked, "Elijah... why haven't you left?

"Where are you manners, brother? We forgot dessert." I swiftly removed the cover that was on the plate that I was carrying to reveal a few silver daggers.

"What have you done?" asked Niklaus who looked confused and possibly hurt.

"What have you done? You see I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're doing this on my terms now." Like we should have from the very beginning.

Kol emerged from behind me and Niklaus stated with fear consuming him, "Kol."

"Long time, brother," replied Kol.

As Kol got closer and closer to our brother, Niklaus backed away. He ended up running into Finn who had grabbed a dagger and brutally stabbed him in the hand with it. "Finn, don't!" Niklaus yelled. He tried to run away again, but this time he came face to face with Rebekah. "Rebekah?" he asked and she didn't hesitate to stab him in the stomach.

"This is for our mother," she told him.

He then fell back into Kol's arms. Kol quickly restrained him back as Klaus feared for the worse. The worst came when Red appeared in front of him. She had her hair beautifully braided to the side. She stood there in a lovely, simple, white dress. The look of vengeance and resentment was firmly planted on her face and I had never been more attracted to her. With a devilish smirk on her face she didn't hesitate to jab the dagger that had been used on her as hard as she could into his heart. She jabbed it so hard that Kol, who was holding Niklaus, had to take a step back because of the force she cause. The look in Niklaus's eyes was priceless. He never looked so hurt or abandoned before. When she stabbed him, I knew he felt true pain.

I quickly looked to Stefan and Damon. "You're free to go. This is family business," I said and they fled rather quickly.

Kol let go of Niklaus and he fell to his knees at Red's feet. He tried to plead though his eyes to her, but she would have none of it. "You fucking bastard," she spat at him. She then squatted down to his level. He kept his stare deep on the floor below him. She grabbed his face roughly causing him to have to look straight into her eyes. "I want to see the fear in your eyes as I tell you these last words," she whispered. "I hate you," she spat. The look in his eyes was almost moving as tears began to swell in his eyes and none of us cared. She got up and commanded him to stand as well. After an inner contemplation, he stood up. She immediately punched him as hard as a vampire could and he was sent back a few feet as he did not put up a fight. He deserved what he got.

Niklaus was sitting on the table after Kol had shoved him there.

"I like what you've done with the new place, Nik," Rebekah told him as she strolled around the room. When she saw a vase she quickly picked it up and threw it against a painting.

"Oh yes. It's very elegant and respectable," stated Red who was strolling around the room as well and breaking stuff.

"I wanted it to be for all of us. A place we could all call home. A place we could all be a family. None of us would ever have to be alone again," said Niklaus softly as he tried to contain his emotions.

"Well you're right, none of us will be," remarked Red.

"You're staying behind," announced Kol delightfully. He then took the liberty to put his arm around Red in a defensive alpha male gesture. I cringed slightly, but brushed my feelings aside.

"We're leaving you, Nik. Right after I kill that doppelgänger wench, then you will be alone. Always and forever," said Rebekah.

"If you run, I will hunt all of you down," Niklaus said angrily.

"Then you'll become everything you hate," I told him. "Our father."

"I'm the hybrid!" he yelled. "I can't be killed! I have nothing to fear from any of you." He had reached his limit and was acting completely and utterly insane.

"You will when we have that coffin," I told him.

After a brief family stare down, we all heard a door upon and turned around. There was a shift in the air as Esther waked in.

"Mother?" asked Rebekah.

Esther walked right past me and over towards Niklaus. Niklaus immediately looked down to the ground as he tried to contain himself, but it was no use. "Look at me! Do you know why I'm here?" she asked. He could no longer keep himself composed as the tears began to swell in his eyes. Not for a second did I feel any pity towards him, especially after what he had done to my happiness.

"You're here to kill me," he stated with fear and I saw him steal a glance at Red who paid no attention to him.

"Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you. I want us to be a family again," my mother told all of us.

"You have got to be kidding me," said Red. "After everything that has happened, after everything that he has done to us, we all know that that is impossibly. I will never be apart of his family again." Red gave my mother a stare down, only to receive a smile in return. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Niklaus go into a deep state of depression at her comment, however, I could care less.

**AN**

**Thoughts? **

**Comments?**

**Complains?**

**Concerns?**

**I know it was very standard and there was too much talking, but I needed to get through that in order to get to the good stuff. AKA them undaggered, Kol coming into play, and Red being a pissed off bitch to him.**

**Will their love last?**

**Or will she move on to bigger and sexier things?...**

**You tell me.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


	35. Chapter 35: Decisions Dancing & Darlings

_Chapter 35: Decisions, Dancing, and Darlings_

**Red's POV**

Esther... The mere thought of her had become repulsing. Getting along with her back when I was human was different and then all of a sudden she was able to show up and butt into my life. It wasn't just. In fact, it made absolutely no sense. But, above all, I was still forever ferous with Niklaus. Everything about him had become too emotional, all due to him finally breaking his curse. In a sense, it was good that he had finally broken his curse. For one, it meant that I did have to listen to him constantly bitch. But, on the other hand, that meant that he didn't need me and that was suppose to be a glorious and revolutionary concept. Well, that was at least what I thought. Everything had become so complicated and I had become tangled in the web of the millenium.

Opting out of exploring Klaus's mansion, getting the official tour, and having any reunions, I went straight upstairs after Ester finished being the bitch she was. Then, I randomly selected a room and flopped stomach side down on the bed in spread eagle form. "Ugh!" I exclaimed into the pillow with frustration at my so called life. Through my distress, I failed to hear someone open my door, walk in, and close it. Only when the figure sat on the bed did I know of their presence.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

Immediately, at the sound of his voice, my whole body shot up. "Kol!" I squealed as I embraced him and he hugged me back. "I'm so sorry that I didn't say anything to you back down there. It's all just so-"

"I understand, Red," he cut me off and looked at me in that way that he simply always had.

"I never got a chance to thank you for what you did." I looked at him with seriousness. "I didn't know that he was going to dagger you and for that I am truly sorry," I told him as I looked down in sorrow and he gently grasped my hand in reassurance.

"It's okay. I knew the risk and I took it, I took it for you. I want you... to understand that." I nodded my head and replied with a reassuring half smile. "Are we good?" he asked.

"Always." And we always had been. Especially when he allowed me to live with him when I had left Niklaus. Whenever it was simply Kol and I, I saw the real Kol. He allowed for me to bare witness to his vulnerable side, his softer human side.

"She's planning a ball," he stated as he rolled his eyes.

"You can't be serious."

"Quite serious, Darling. It is her attempt to have us all become a 'family' again."

"Ha. It'll never work," I told him.

"Oh, and she has rules."

Pushing myself so I sat facing him on the bed criss-cross, I asked, "Do tell."

"Of course I wasn't entirely listening, however, I did hear her mention no killing."

"Yup, this 'family' thing is most definitely not going to work out." Taking note that his clothes were about one hundred years old and were actually the clothes that I had last seen him in, I asked, "How about I take you shopping for proper twenty first century clothing tomorrow?"

"I believe that would be appropriate. The mandatory ball starts at seven and I believe there is a tux fitting sometime in the afternoon, however, I don't really know."

"That doesn't surprise me. The stores open at ten so lets meet downstairs at nine thirty."

"Okay."

"And I know you don't want to, but just borrow some clothes from Niklaus for the time being," I instructed and tilted my head ever so slightly to the side. After nodding and placing a swift kiss on my forehead, he left.

What Kol and I had become... I wasn't able to quite tell what we were. For me, it seemed as if we were more than Elijah and I were, but less than Klaus and I. We appeared to be more than friends, but less than lovers. So, where did that leave us exactly? Like I said, "Everything had become so complicated and I had become tangled in the web of the millenium." My thoughts continued to consume me as my body drifted off into a state possessed by freedom. It was in that state that I was able to forget all of the worries that constantly swarmed through my mind,

That night I had slept well. It could have possibly been due to the fact that I finally knew that Kol was safe, but that idea seemed too farfetch.

When I met Kol downstairs and we exchanged greetings, I spotted Klaus out of the corner of my eye. Then, he proceeded to come toward us.

"Where are you two going?" he asked, refusing to make eye contact with me after the incident last night.

Remaining silent, I allowed for Kol to do all of the talking. "Out," he remarked and shot Klaus a smirk.

"Out where?"

"Shopping, Brother. Incase you haven't noticed, I am wearing your clothes at the moment."

"Oh, okay," replied the less confident Klaus. "The tux fittings for Finn and you are at four." Kol nodded his head in a 'whatever you say, Brother motion.'

Immediately, we turned around, Kol put his arm over my shoulder, and we headed out the door. The memory of the look that Klaus had been giving me was burned into my head. It was a look of sorrow mixed with pleading eyes which searched for forgiveness, but all that I had given him was my signature, evil, death g;are.

Kol pleaded for me to let him drive, but I beat him to the driver's seat. Halfway into the trip, I began to rant. "I can't believe the nerve of that ass hole. The fact that he asked where we are going when we both know that he was probably listening to our conversation last night. He's just so... Ugh!" All that I received from Kol a questionable smirk. "Care to share what's so funny?" I asked him.

"Oh no. It's nothing," he smiled.

"Tell me," I growled through my teeth.

"Lets start off with 'why are your panties in a knot?' Thats what they say nowadays right?" he asked.

I nervously bit my lip. I most definitely did not want to have this discussion. "Oh, look. We're here," I said as I pulled into a parking space.

"This conversation is not over," he assured me and I rolled my eyes.

We got out of the car and headed into the first clothing. I had chosen this shopping area because it was outside Mystic Falls. Being in Mystic Falls was the last place I wanted to be.

I pushed Kol through the store and over to the men's section. Immediately, I grabbed all of the shirts, pants, belts, jackets, underwear, shoes, and socks that were Kol's size and throw them at him to carry. "What are you doing?" he asked as I ignored him and continued.

"Now go try all this on," I commanded as I pointed at the dressing room. Rolling his eyes, he did as I said and I sat outside the curtain waiting. "Come on old man. Let's see option number one," I called to him.

"Hang on, hang on. These pants are harder to get on then they look," he called back and I laughed silently to myself.

Moments later he appeared wearing dark wash jeans, a white tee, and a black belt.

"Not bad. Not bad at all, Mr. Mikaelson. You adapt nicely." I smiled.

"Do I have to try all of this stuff on?" he whined.

"Yes!"

"Women," he mumbled and I smirked. "Fine, but I don't think these pants will come off easily. They're pretty tight. You might need to come in here and help me," he said seductively as he moved closer towards me and shot me his signature irresistible half smile. Playful and flirtatious Kol, that's what I missed the most.

"Go change, Kol. You're a vampire, you have super strength. I know you can do it." I replied shooting him my signature rejection smile that he had grown fond of over the years.

After I made Kol buy a good chunk of the store using Elijah's, Rebekah's, and Klaus's credit cards, it was half past noon. Both of us were extremely thirsty and he asked, "How bout a drink like the good old days?"

Smiling I said, "Yes."

Kol picked a tough, old bar outside of Mystic Falls. Deciding the skip right to the hard stuff, I ordered myself a Bourbon and Kol ordered the same. After chucking my glass down, I instructed the bartender to simple leave the bottle there.

"Someones in a mood," Kol casually stated.

"Well, I'll recap you on what you have missed then. Let's see. Eventually, I found Elijah and we planned a lovely death for Niklaus. We had it planned to a tee and it took several years of research, timing, and scheming. Then, right when Elijah was about to rip out his non existent heart, he played the family card and Elijah trusted him. Oh, then Damon Salvatore got bit by a werewolf and I had to save him. Therefore, I had to go to Klaus and tell him I was alive and needed his help. Ended up making a bargain with him for his blood, which caused me to become him 'slave' for x amount of years. Little did I know that Stefan, his brother, had already made a deal with Niklaus. I got played and ended up on a werewolf hunting expedition. Then, shit happened and he undaggered Rebekah, who proved to hate my guts because I faked my death. Later, he redaggered her and Stefan went crazy, still is. Oh, then he daggered me! He fucking plunged a dagger through my heart. I didn't even know he had one. Next thing I know is I'm awake, you're holding the Bastard down, and I'm beating the shit out of him." I exhaled deeply. "And now I have to go to that stupid ball." My head fell down to the table in frustration.

"All that in a century?"

"Oh, it was less time than that."

"To be honest, that just sucks. Any idea as to what you're going to do?"

"Nope. Maybe I can run. Wanna come?"

"As tempting as that is, I first want to watch this 'family reunion' blow up. But, after it grumbles, I promise I'll take you as far away as you want." He smiled reassuringly at me and I smiled back. "In the meantime, would you like to accompany me to the dysfunctional family ball? I do need someone to assist me in causing mayhem you know."

"Definitely," I said as I finished off the bottle and got up. "I need a real drink. You coming?" I asked and he followed me to a table in the bar. There we decided to play our usual games. Flirt with someone, make them feel wanted, get them to take you out back, and then finish them. It was always a tag team affair and it was always a competition: Who could eat the most attractive person in the room without compulsion.

Back at the mansion, Kol and Finn were getting their fittings, Rebekah was having someone paint her nails, and I was painting my own. 'Shouldn't she know how to paint her own goddamn nails by now? She's only a thousand years old.'

"Rebekah? Tell me how handsome I am," said Kol as he admired himself in the mirror. No lie, the man was handsome.

"Ah Kol, you know I can`t be compelled," she replied casually.

"You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?!" Klaus asked as he barged through the door.

"Here we go again," I mumbled as i rolled my eyes and Kol smirked.

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Klaus asked Rebekah.

"Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?" asked Kol.

"Oh, go back to staring at yourself," snapped Niklaus.

"And who are you, my father?"

"No, Kol, but you're in my house." 'I wouldn't be surprised if the deed to the house is actually in my name.'

Kol stood up to challenge his brother. "Then perhaps we should go outside." The stare down was epic.

"Enough! Niklaus...come." And the evil witch showed her face. Kol and I flashed each other smiles of pleasure. Somebody was in trouble.

Kol went back to staring at himself as I sat down and decided to listen in on Klaus's conversation.

"Rebekah wasn't even out of her box a day before she tried to ruin my life. What happened to peace, acceptance, family?" asked Niklaus.

"You put daggers in their hearts. You want them to go down on their knees and kiss your feet for reuniting them?" she asked.

"So it's a crime to want our family to be as we were?"

"You need to give it time, Niklaus. I've had a thousand years on the other side to be angry and to heal. I'm here to make sure this family does the same." 'Not if Kol has anything to do with it.'

"I just don't understand. I killed you, and still you forgive me."

"It's been my dream for a thousand years that this family could be as one. Forgiveness is not a chore. It's a gift."

"Will she ever forgive me?" he asked in an extremely hushed tone, but I was able to pick it up.

"It depends if she still loves you. Now, who are you bringing to the ball this evening?"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's not like I'm in a position to ask her. You're lucky I'm even going."

"Well, I wish you would reconsider. It is going to be a magical evening. You could always use this opportunity to fix things later tonight. It won't be easy, but every little bit helps."

'Over my dead body.'

* * *

"Are you ready yet?" whined Kol from the other side of the door.

"Almost! Don't get your panties in a knot, Kol." My dark auburn hair had beautiful natural waves as I had let my hair fall almost naturally. My dress was black. It had a sweetheart neckline and a corset type middle that stopped at the smallest part of my waist and turned into a floor length flowing veil. "Kol? I need your help." In less than a moments notice, he had burst into the room. "Can you hook the back of my dress?" I asked.

"With pleasure," he smirked. And he took his sweet time. First, he gently brushed my hair out of the way, allowing for his fingers to brush gently against my skin. Then, he gently hooked the back of my dress. As I shivered under his touch, I thought of how hard it must have been for him to not kiss the back of my neck. He fear rejection and I was unstable. "Shall we," he asked as he held out his arm and I took it. "You look beautiful by the way," he told me, causing me to blush.

"Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson. You don't look so bad yourself."

Arm and arm, we headed down the long stair case. As my eyes roamed around the room below, they locked on to Klaus's and I looked away immediately.

When we got down to the room, Kol decided he'd play his charming card and so we approached the Mayor and Damon. "Mayor Lockwood. We haven't formally met. Kol Mikaelson." He took her hand and gracefully placed a quick kiss on it. "And this is my date, Red Mikaelson. I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."

Then, Damon decided to chime in. "Damon Salvatore. Have we met?" A smirk over came my face.

"I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out." That's what Damon got for fucking everything up.

Kol decided that we should mingle with the commoners as he put it. And we did just that. But then, Kol left me for just one second to us some drinks and Niklaus approached me.

"Good Evening,'' he stated with a spark in his eyes. It seemed as if he was making an effort to try and get with me. 'Ugh. Men.' "You look ravishing if I do say so myself," he said flirtatiously.

"I need a drink," was all I said as I walked away and shut him down.

Just as I was about to get my drink, the family, which I was apparently part of, was forced to stand on the staircase as Elijah gave his little speech. "Uh, if everyone could gather, please. Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."

Effort, what I wasn't in the mood for.

Kol quickly snatch up my arm before Klaus even had a second to make a move and we headed to the ballroom.

"Do we have to dance?" I asked him.

"Yes. It'll make you feel better. Besides after being locked up for so many years I really do need to stretch my legs some more." I was forced to roll my eyes.

It had been forever since I had danced, especially with Kol. The dance was beautiful. Was being the key word. Then, we switched partners and who do I get? "And so you fall into my arms once again, Love," smiled the Bastard.

"Why, why, why?" I asked.

"Luck of the draw, Sweetheart. Buy anything nice while you were out shopping?" he asked.

"With your credit card? Yes, but no worries. I also used Rebekah's and Elijah's."

"You never cease to surprise me." We danced some more. "Don't you miss it?" he asked.

"Miss what?"

"Can you honestly look my in the eyes and tell me that you don't miss it all? The dancing, the dinners, the parties... The sex," he whispered into my ear all hot and heavy like. Oh damn. The effect he could have over me at times.

Sighing, I replied, "Of course I miss it. You should at least know that much, but let's be realistic here. We've both simply changed too much."

"You haven't changed," he stated with emptiness.

"Then, you clearly haven't been paying enough attention." The dance ended.

"Can we just talk a walk outside before the toast. I don't really want to be alone and I really would like to talk."

"Okay."

He lead me outside and we began to stroll around the grounds. "I just have to know if there is anything that I can do to fix this? I just-"

I cut him off. "Nik, you're unstable and to be frank, you ruined your last chance when you daggered me. I understand why you did it, but it still doesn't justify your actions."

"You leaving me and faking your death wasn't just either, but I forgave you. I always forgive you. I can't help but to forgive you. Why can't you forgive me?" he asked.

"I don't know," I replied honestly.

"Is it because you have feelings for Kol?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I do not have feelings for Kol. It's not like that and it never has been."

He simply looked at me for a moment and nothing. "I wanted to show you something," he stated and lead me back inside, however, once we got inside we were stopped by the toast.

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman," began the Bitch. "Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!"

Everyone said, "Cheers!" and drank.

Then, Klaus proceeded to bring me to a room off to the side that was locked and before he unlocked the door he asked, "Remember how you always wanted me to pursue my passions?"

"Of course," I answered and he opened the door. It was his private art collection. He had accumulated quite a collection over the years. Some paintings were extremely famous, while others had been done by him. It was quite easy to tell the difference. The ones that I had seen years ago appeared to be more joyful and possessed more vibrant colors, while the newer ones were consumer with darkness, but they were still exquisite. I stood there in awe.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"Of course. They're all so beautiful."

"One of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice," he said.

"I noticed."

"How?"

"Whenever I went into a new city I would always scope out the art museums as if you were there and would see if you had any art in them." I looked down beside the table next to me and notice a pile of sketches. My eyes widen as I looked at them and realized that they were all of me and I looked beautiful and accurately drawn. My jaw dropped as Klaus flushed with embarrassment. "When?" I asked.

"All of the time. At first, I was just trying to not forget how you looked. Later on, I always thought I saw you in the shadows and I became inspired to draw you instantly before I forgot all of your details. These last five hundred years have only been consumed with thoughts of you. Red, I still can't get you out of my head. I've tried to respect your wishes, but I just can't do it." Then, in a moment of strength, he rush towards me, grabbing both sides of me, and pressing his lips to mine...

**AN**

**Sorry I've just been so busy!**

**Where will this go from here?**

**Who will she be with?**

**I don't know what up yet!**

**UGH! Life.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! (:**


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